Two victims on board the plane that crashed in Virginia were identified as the family members of a Florida businessman and major political donor.
The shocking plane crash startled residents of Washington, DC and the surrounding area on Sunday afternoon when they heard a deafening boom around 3.20pm.
NORAD later confirmed the sonic boom heard by locals was caused by military aircraft moving to intercept the jet, which had flown into restricted airspace.
‘During this event, the NORAD aircraft also used flares – which may have been visible to the public – in an attempt to draw attention to the pilot,’ the defense organization said.
The plane, identified by NORAD as a Cessna private jet, crashed in the George Washington Forest around 3.30pm. The Cessna’s pilot was unresponsive before the crash.
The occupants were identified as Adina Azarian, 49, as well as her 2-year-old daughter, their nanny, and the pilot, a family member confirmed to the New York Times.
That family member, John Rumpel, is the father of Azarian and grandfather of her daughter.
Rumpel and his wife, Barbara Rumpel are prominent businesspeople and Republican political donors. Barbara has served on the executive committee National Rifle Association’s Women’s Leadership Forum since 2012, according to her LinkedIn page.
Records indicate the couple gave a major donation of $250,000 to a political action committee (PAC) to support the reelection of Donald Trump in 2020.
The plane was registered to Encore Motors of Melbourne, a company based in Florida and owned by the Rumpels.
Azarian and her daughter were traveling home to East Hampton, New York after visiting him in North Carolina.
The plane appeared to reach its destination in Long Island before inexplicably turning around and flying in a straight line towards Washington DC.
Rumpel said he had little knowledge of the crash, but theorized it was caused by the cabin losing pressurization.
‘It descended at 20,000 feet a minute, and nobody could survive a crash from that speed,’ Rumpel said.
Investigators found the aircraft’s wreckage in a crater near Montebello, Virginia, the Virginia State Police said on Monday.
None of the four occupants survived the crash.
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