F-16 fighter jets scrambled Sunday afternoon when a small civilian plane traveling from Elizabethton, Tennessee flew off course and appeared to be heading to the Washington, D.C. area. The U.S. Capitol Complex was placed on an elevated alert. The Cessna had reportedly overshot its destination by more than 300 miles. Officials say the plane was not shot down after it was determined to pose no threat. The plane crashed near George Washington National Forest in Virginia. All four people on board were killed.
The private plane was reportedly registered to Florida-based Encore Motors, which is owned by John and Barbara Rumpel. Mr. Rumpel told the Washington Post that the four people on board were his daughter, 2-year-old granddaughter, a nanny and the pilot. The family was returning home to East Hampton, New York, after a four-day trip to Mr. Rumpel’s home in North Carolina.
Officials did not immediately release their names. The NTSB is investigating.