**Mysterious explosion-like sounds recently shook Washington DC residents. Authorities identified the cause – a military drill involving an F-16 fighter jet breaking the sound barrier. While the drill was routine, further developments show the sonic boom was caused by a rapid deployment of F-16 fighter jets in response to a non-responsive aircraft in restricted airspace.**
On Sunday, an unexpected loud boom disturbed residents in the vicinity of Washington DC, including nearby areas in Maryland and Virginia. It has been determined that at 3:30 p.m., the noise was a result of an F-16 fighter plane breaking the sound barrier during military drills over the Chesapeake Bay, as reported by the Daily Mail. These drills were considered routine and not in response to a severe military crisis.
However, new revelations indicate that American F-16 fighter jets caused the sonic boom due to their rapid deployment in response to a non-responsive aircraft infiltrating restricted airspace in the southwestern region of Virginia. The unresponsive aircraft eventually crashed in this area. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) confirmed that a Cessna Citation crashed into the mountainous region of Southwest Virginia on Sunday afternoon.
The FAA released a statement explaining the Cessna Citation crashed into a sparsely populated area of southwest Virginia around 3 p.m., local time, on June 4. Following the crash, FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) began an investigation. All further updates will come from NTSB as they lead the investigation.
The North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) also issued a statement, clarifying they did not shoot the Virginia plane down. NORAD F-16 fighter aircraft intervened with the unresponsive Cessna 560 Citation V aircraft over Washington D.C., and northern Virginia on June 4. The NORAD aircraft were authorized for supersonic speeds, and a resulting sonic boom may have been heard by residents in the region.
During this event, NORAD aircraft used flares in an attempt to gain the pilot’s attention, which may have been seen by the public. The flares used posed no danger to the intercepted aircraft or the people on the ground, and they burned out quickly and completely. The pilot was unresponsive, and the Cessna eventually crashed near George Washington National Forest, Virginia. NORAD tried establishing contact with the pilot until the aircraft crashed.
**In conclusion, authorities have revealed that a recent sonic boom, heard by many Washington DC area residents, came from rapidly deployed US F-16 fighter jets addressing a non-responsive aircraft in restricted airspace. The aircraft ultimately crashed in southwest Virginia, and the situation is undergoing further investigation by the NTSB.**
