Federal investigator discusses plane crash that killed Trump donor’s family: all possibilities considered.

Small Plane Crash Leaves Highly Fragmented Wreckage in Virginia Mountains

“Everything is on the table until we slowly and methodically remove different components and elements that will be relevant for this safety investigation.”

A small plane caused a stir when it flew over the nation’s capitol and crashed in Virginia, leaving behind “highly fragmented” wreckage in a mountainous area that will take days to gather and sort, according to federal investigator Adam Gerhardt. The crash site is about 2 to 3 miles north of Montebello in mountainous terrain, and investigators expect to be on the scene for at least three to four days.

The unresponsive plane caused the military to scramble fighter jets, and attention on the crash and its cause were heightened by its unusual flight path over Washington and a sonic boom caused by military aircraft heard across Washington and parts of Maryland and Virginia.

Investigation Underway

Gerhardt said the wreckage is “highly fragmented” and investigators will examine the most delicate evidence on the scene, after which the wreckage will be moved, perhaps by helicopter, to Delaware, where it can be examined. Investigators will look at when the pilot became unresponsive and why the aircraft flew the path that it did. They will consider several factors that are routinely examined in such probes including the plane, its engines, weather conditions, pilot qualifications, and maintenance records.

“Everything is on the table until we slowly and methodically remove different components and elements that will be relevant for this safety investigation,” he said.

A preliminary report will be released in 10 days, and a final report will be released in 12 to 24 months, he said.

No Survivors Found

Police said rescuers had reached the crash site in a rural part of the Shenandoah Valley and that no survivors were found. It was not immediately clear how many were on board. The Federal Aviation Administration says the Cessna Citation took off from Elizabethton, Tennessee, on Sunday and was headed for Long Island’s MacArthur Airport. Inexplicably, the plane turned around over New York’s Long Island and flew a straight path down over D.C. before it crashed around 3:30 p.m.

The plane flew directly over the nation’s capital, though it was technically flying above some of the most heavily restricted airspace in the country.

Top Trump Donor’s Family Among Those Killed

The plane that crashed was registered to Encore Motors of Melbourne Inc, which is based in Florida. John Rumpel, who runs the company, told The New York Times that his daughter, 2-year-old granddaughter, her nanny and the pilot were aboard the plane. They were returning to their home in East Hampton, on Long Island, after visiting his house in North Carolina, he said.

John and Barbara Rumpel are prolific donors to Donald Trump and other Republican causes, records show.

The episode brought back memories of the 1999 crash of a Learjet that lost cabin pressure and flew aimlessly across the country with professional golfer Payne Stewart aboard. The jet crashed in a South Dakota pasture, and six people died.

The Western Journal has reviewed this Associated Press story and may have altered it prior to publication to ensure that it meets our editorial standards.

The post Federal Investigator Speaks on Plane Crash That Killed Top Trump Donor’s Family: ‘Everything Is on the Table’ appeared first on The Western Journal.