A loud sonic boom was heard across Washington D.C. Sunday evening after two military aircraft rushed to catch up with a Cessna aircraft that had an unresponsive pilot on board.
The city of Annapolis Office of Emergency Management confirmed that the boom was caused by an authorized Department of Defense (DOD) flight.
"The loud boom that was heard across the DMV area was caused by an authorized DOD flight," the office said. "His flight caused a sonic boom. That is all the information available at this time."
A spokesperson for U.S. Northern Command said that two "ORAD F-16 fighter aircraft responded to an unresponsive Cessna 560 Citation V aircraft over Washington, D.C., and northern Virginia" over the weekend.
"The NORAD aircraft were authorized to travel at supersonic speeds, and a sonic boom may have been heard by residents of the region," a statement read. "During this event, the NORAD aircraft also used flares, which may have been visible to the public, to draw attention from the pilot. Flares are employed with the highest regard for the safety of the intercepted aircraft and people on the ground. Flares burn out quickly and completely, and there is no danger to the people on the ground when dispensed."
The civilian plane was intercepted Sunday at 3:20 p.m., and fighter pilots reported the pilot of the Cessna was unresponsive. NORAD reportedly tried to contact the pilot until the aircraft crashed near the George Washington National Forest in Virginia.
According to The Associated Press, the Cessna was registered to Encore Motors of Melbourne Inc. John Rumpel, who runs the company. His two-year-old granddaughter, daughter, her nanny, and the pilot were also on the plane.
As officials tracked the aircraft on Sunday, the Capitol building when into "AirCon" after it flew close to the no-fly zone in the Capitol region.
The Capitol was at an elevated posture for a brief moment. However, the plane that entered the restricted airspace was not a threat.