F-16 pilot shares view from window of GOP donor’s doomed plane.

Tragedy in the Skies: F-16 Pilot Witnesses Final Moments of Doomed Plane

A new report has shed light on the final moments of a private plane that crashed in Virginia, killing all four people on board. The plane, a Cessna Citation, had flown over restricted airspace in Washington, prompting an F-16 pilot to scramble and potentially shoot it down. When the doomed plane.”>pilot made visual contact with the plane, he saw a tragedy unfolding.

The F-16 pilots sent aloft “did exactly what they were supposed to do — try to get on the radio, communicate to the pilot. That wasn’t working. Made themselves visible. That didn’t work. And tragically, it ended, obviously, in the crash and the death of all on board.” – National Security Council spokesman John Kirby

The Washington Post reported that the F-16 pilot saw the Cessna pilot slumped towards the right side of the plane, indicating a loss of pressurization that could have led to unconsciousness. The plane was at 31,000 feet when communication was lost, and it maintained that altitude until its final spiral and crash.

Loss of Oxygen Likely Cause of Crash

Experts believe that cabin pressurization was the most likely cause of the crash. Hypoxia, or the brain being deprived of oxygen, happens slowly and can cause grogginess and eventually unconsciousness. The plane’s right engine was out of fuel when the crash took place, and the wreckage was highly fragmented.

“It’s very unclear why it made this maneuver so close to its intended destination. The aircraft, especially the Cessna airplane, it has to be directed by the pilot to take a certain flight path and altitude.” – Hassan Shahidi, president and CEO of the Flight Safety Foundation

The plane was registered to Encore Motors of Melbourne, Florida, and was carrying John Rumpel’s daughter, granddaughter, and their nanny, as well as pilot Jeff Hefner. Rumpel was a major GOP donor who supported former President Donald Trump among other prominent Republicans.

Investigation Continues

The National Transportation Safety Board is continuing its investigation into the crash, which occurred on Sunday. The plane had taken off from Elizabethton, Tennessee, and was heading to Long Island, New York. Communication with the plane was lost soon after takeoff, and the plane violated restrictions, prompting the F-16 scramble.

• Loss of pressurization likely cause of crash
• Plane was at 31,000 feet when communication was lost
• Wreckage was highly fragmented
• Investigation into the crash is ongoing

The post F-16 Pilot Reveals What He Saw Through Window of Doomed Plane Carrying GOP Donor’s Family: Report appeared first on The Western Journal.