The Pentagon has confirmed that the Cessna 560 was not shot down, but likely crashed when it ran out of fuel.
Mom and wealthy East Hamptons real estate agent Adina Azarian and her 2-year-old daughter Aria were among those killed Sunday when their Cessna 560 crashed into the George Washington National Forest in Virginia, leaving no survivors, officials said.
The family are longtime friends of former President Trump and major Republican party mega donors. Azarian even wrote a chapter in Trump’s 2006 best seller, “The Best Real Estate Advice I Ever Had.” The Cessna 560 is owned by Encore Motors, a Florida-based company owned by Azarian's father, 75-year-old John Rumpel. Also killed in the crash were Aria’s nanny and the pilot.
The private jet, originating in Tennessee, was destined for MacArthur Airport in Long Island, New York, and meant to bring Azarian, her daughter and their nanny back to their East Hamptons home. Instead of landing, the plane reversed course and flew on autopilot 200 miles south to Washington, D.C., where they entered restricted airspace.
Publicly available data suggests the pilot fell unconscious, likely due to a sudden loss of pressure inside the plane that can cause hypoxia, or, a lack of oxygen. Those onboard likely fell asleep and never woke up, experts said.
Responding to that, NORAD authorized two F-16 fighter jets to travel at supersonic speeds to intercept the Cessna when they were unable to make contact with the pilot. Pilots that intercepted the plane said they saw the Cessna’s pilot slumped over in the cockpit.
The sonic boom that came from the fighter jets' high speed of travel rang through the nation's capital, leaving residents of Washington, D.C. to be on high alert.
“It sounded like it was in our backyard, yet it was miles and miles away,” said Jamie Dzuiba, whose husband was on their home's porch when the boom echoed in the sky. “All our neighbors came running out. Our whole neighborhood, everyone came to the street.”
While some initially suspected the civilian jet was shot down, the Pentagon confirmed the plane was not shot down, and said it likely crashed when it ran out of fuel.
