Mysterious plane crash near Washington: pilot sinks into seat Mysterious plane crash near Washington: pilot sinks into seat

The pilot of a small plane deployed by the US Air Force near the US capital of Washington is reportedly slumped in his seat. The fighter pilots of the Air Force noted this, among other things, broadcaster CNN reports on Monday based on unnamed sources familiar with the incident.

The accident investigators are now investigating, among other things, lack of oxygen as a possible reason for this. According to media reports, there were three other passengers in addition to the pilot on board the plane, which eventually crashed in a sparsely populated area in the US state of Virginia – near Washington. Survivors were not found.

On Sunday, US military F-16 fighter jets took off to intercept the Cessna Citation light aircraft as it approached the capital. The pilot had previously not responded. As the jets reached supersonic speeds, there was a loud boom that could be heard in Washington and the neighboring states of Virginia and Maryland.

According to the North American air defense command Norad, the American military had tried, among other things, to contact the pilot of the Cessna with flares. But he didn’t respond. Many questions remained unanswered. (sda/dpa)