Breaking: US fighter jets scrambled, created sonic boom, pursuing passenger jet that ultimately crashed in Virginia



U.S. fighter jets were scrambled Sunday afternoon, creating a sonic boom, after a Cessna Citation passenger jet violated airspace around Washington, D.C., Reuters and other outlets reported.

The aircraft, which can carry seven to 12 passengers, crashed into mountainous terrain in southwest Virginia around 3 p.m., WHSV reported. The plane had not yet been found as of 5:20 p.m.

The fighter jets did not cause the crash, a U.S. official told Reuters.

Officials said the Cessna was ignoring radio queries and flying on a "strange flight path," Fox News Channel's Lucas Tomlinson reported.

\u201cUPDATE: F-16 fighter jet from DC National Guard was \u201ccleared supersonic to respond\u201d to unknown Cessna ignoring radio queries flying on \u201cstrange flight path\u201d outside nation\u2019s capital, officials say. FAA says Cessna crashed near Staunton, Virginia.\u201d
— Lucas Tomlinson (@Lucas Tomlinson) 1685911882

Reports of a "loud boom" flooded Twitter near the time of the crash. Various authorities, including the Annapolis Office of Emergency Management and the DC Homeland Security and Emergency Management tweeted to reassure citizens there was no current threat.

The Cessna left Elizabethton Municipal Airport in Tennessee bound for Long Island MacArthur Airport in New York, WHSV also reported.

Virginia State Police told the outlet search efforts by state and local authorities are underway.

Fox 5 DC reported that a Cessna 560 Citation registered as N611VG took off from an airport, flew over New York, New Jersey, and Maryland in something of an elongated loop, then descended into a mountainous area in Virginia. It is not clear whether the two events are related.

This story is developing and will be updated as more information becomes available.

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Romantic college student tragically killed by plane he rented to take girl on a date



A young college student in Georgia died last weekend when he was struck in the head by the propeller of a plane he had rented to take a girl on a date.

Last Sunday, Sani Aliyu, 21, a sophomore at Georgia State University majoring in management, rented a single-engine Cessna to transport himself and an unnamed young lady to Savannah for a romantic dinner date. The pair, along with two pilots Aliyu reportedly knew, flew in the four-seater plane from Statesboro, Georgia — where GSU is located — to Savannah, about 60 miles away.

The plane landed in Savannah without incident. However, tragedy struck when they landed back at Statesboro-Bulloch County Airport at approximately 10:45 p.m. Aliyu's date alighted from the plane and headed toward the rear. Unfortunately, Aliyu himself did not follow suit. He headed toward the front of the plane and was struck in the head twice by the plane's propeller.

Bulloch County coroner Jake Futch stated that Aliyu died "instantly."

Capt. Todd Hutchens of the Bulloch County sheriff’s office added that the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board will continue to conduct an investigation. However, he concluded that Aliyu's death appears to be a tragic accident.

"Nobody is really at fault or anything. It was an accident, so we just have to communicate all of our information with [those agencies]," Hutchens said.

Hutchens did confirm that the plane was stationary when Aliyu was struck. The pilot flying the plane had reportedly taxied the Cessna to a ramp before any passengers had deplaned.

The GSU community is now grieving over the loss.

"We were deeply saddened to hear about the tragic incident that involved one of our students Sunday night," said a statement from Dr. Aileen C. Dowell, the GSU associate vice president and dean of students. "I have already been in touch with his family and professors and we have mobilized all available resources to provide counseling and any other assistance the university can give."

Aliyu originally hailed from Nigeria, but was said to be from Atlanta. It is unclear whether Aliyu had any family members living in the U.S.