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The crash caused two F-16 fighter jets to try to intercept it after it neared no-fly zone territory in the District of Columbia, creating a sonic boom that was heard for miles.
The Cessna 560 Citation V went down in southwestern Virginia in the area of the George Washington & Jefferson National Forest near Charlottesville, at around 3:30 p.m. Sunday, June 4, according to the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB).
It was en route for Long Island MacArthur Airport in Ronkonkoma after departing from Elizabethton Municipal Airport in Elizabethton, Tennessee, according to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
The FAA and NTSB are investigating.
According to a report in The New York Times, the Cessna is owned by John Rumpel, age 75, who runs Encore Motors of Melbourne, Florida.
Rumpel told The Times that his daughter, a 2-year-old granddaughter, her nanny, and the pilot were aboard the flight and were headed back home to the town of East Hampton on Long Island after spending four days at Rumpel's North Carolina home.
The names and ages of the four have not yet officially been released.
The private plane pilot was unresponsive as the pilots of the F-16 fighter jets, who were authorized to travel at supersonic speeds, attempted to make contact, according to the Continental North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) Region.
NORAD said the F-16s used spares -- which may have been visible to the public -- in an attempt to draw attention from the pilot.
"Flares are employed with highest regard for safety of the intercepted aircraft and people on the ground," NORAD said. "Flares burn out quickly and complete and there is no danger to the people on the ground when dispensed."
The FAA and NTSB are investigating the cause of the crash.
This continues to be a developing story. Check back to Daily Voice for updates.
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