Tragedy in the Sky
On Sunday, June 4th, 2023 a tragedy took place in the sky. A private jet departed from Tennessee. It was destined for Ronkonkoma, Long Island, but things went awry after 15 minutes. Residents of Virginia were jolted by a tremendous sound. The sound was comparable with a bomb that’s detonated and there are few sounds as scary. The sound residents heard was a sonic boom.
What is a sonic boom?
A sonic boom is a loud sound that occurs when an object travels faster than the speed of sound, in this case a fighter jet. The jet creates shock waves that spread out in a conical shape behind the aircraft. When these shock waves touch the ground they produce a sudden change in air pressure causing a heavy noise.
Although sonic booms are associated with supersonic planes and rockets, they’re also caused by natural phenomena. Meteor impacts and volcanic eruptions produce sonic booms ever so rarely.
F-16 fighter jets produced the sonic boom.
Military, security, and law enforcement agencies were alerted when communication was lost between Air Traffic Control and a Cessna business jet. According to NORAD, the North American Aerospace Defense Command, the sonic boom was caused by two F-16 fighter jets that were scrambled to intercept a small, private plane. A Cessna had entered restricted airspace in Washington DC. NORAD authorized F-16 fighter jets to go at supersonic speed to catch up with the Cessna.
The Cessna 560 Citation V, a business jet that can carry up to twelve people, departed from Elizabethton, Tennessee. It was destined for MacArthur Airport in Long Island, New York. Inexplicably, the plane overflew MacArthur Airport, and then turned around. From there on out the plane continued in a south west direction, and headed straight for the nation’s capital.
NORAD states that it launched six F-16s from three different airbases to track and escort the Cessna.
Only two of those were authorized to fly at supersonic speeds, causing the sonic boom around 3:10 p.m. in Washington DC. Many attempts were made by the F-16 fighter pilots to get the Cessna’s attention.
The F-16s performed a procedure called a head-butt. This is a technique that is used in an effort to get the attention of an unconscious pilot. One plane flies close behind the unmanned plane while another flies close enough for the pilot to see in the hopes of getting his attention. Lit flares were flashed and frantically waved in the pilot’s direction. Nothing worked however. Fighter jet pilots say that the pilot of the Cessna was completely unresponsive and slumped over.
At this juncture a decision needed to be made.
The options were to shoot the jet down or let it crash in a remote location. The decision was made to let it crash. Following protocol, the F-16s followed the plane until it ran out of fuel. The jets monitored its path to ensure that it would crash in a remote area. It crashed in the dense woods of the Shenandoah Valley in Virginia.
Around 4 p.m. that day Virginia State Police were notified of a possible aircraft disaster. By 8 p.m. the first responders arrived in the area, which is flanked by rugged terrain. The Virginia State Police reported that there were no survivors. The plane crashed so powerfully it formed a crater. Bits of debris and organic material, presumably the victims’, was found.
The owner of the Cessna was John Rumpel, which was registered to Encore Motors, also owned by Rumpel.
Encore Motors is a company that sells luxury cars. Rumpel is a businessman and prominent MAGA contributor in Florida. He said that his “entire family” was on board the plane. Rumpel said that he did not know why the plane flew off course or why the pilot didn’t respond to any radio calls. He was devastated by the loss of his loved ones and asked for privacy.
An ongoing investigation is being conducted by The Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board. They will examine the wreckage and review the flight data and voice records. The witnesses will then be interviewed along with air traffic controllers.
Why did the plane turn around when it was already in Long Island?
This was a very strange thing indeed. One theory is that the plane was set to autopilot and the plane turned itself around.
There is some speculation that what caused Pilot Jeff Hefner unconscious state was hypoxia. Hypoxia is a loss of consciousness due to lack of oxygen caused by a sudden decrease of air pressure. What caused this hypoxia if that’s what it was? Was it a mechanical failing or due to a structural flaw in the plane body?
Unfortunately many questions about this tragedy may go unanswered if a black box isn’t recovered.
Private business jets are not required by law to have them. Four people were onboard the ill-fated jet. Adina Azarian, her two-year-old daughter, Aria Azarian, their nanny Evadnie Smith, and the pilot, Jeff Hefner. It’s important to not let this event overshadow the memories of those lost. Let’s remember who they were while they were here.
Adina Azarian was a self-made real estate entrepreneur and proud mother.
She is described by those who knew her as caring and vibrant. Whether she was with friends, family, or a client, she was always warm and engaging. Adina was a doting mother. Eerily she said close to this tragic event that she wished she could live forever with Aria.
Her parents, John and Barbara Rumpel adopted Adina when she was 40 years old. The Rumpels lost their only daughter 30 years prior in a scuba diving accident. When they hired Adina they took an instant liking to her because she reminded them so of their former daughter. Over time their relationship deepened and they adopted Adina. She regularly visited them in North Carolina, especially after the birth of her daughter, Aria.
In 2012, Azarian was among 100 real estate experts published in “Trump: The Best Real Estate Advice I Ever Received.”
She was among ten female brokers featured. Her LinkedIn profile claimed she was the youngest ever included. Adina had 30 years of experience in real estate. For 20 years she presided over the firm she founded in Manhattan, Adina Equities. Eventually she moved over to Corcoran Group and specialized in luxury sales in the Hamptons and Montauk, Long Island.
Adina was visiting her parents in North Carolina that tragic weekend with Aria. Their nanny, Evadnie Smith, accompanied them as stated previously. Jeff Hefner was a pilot with many years of experience and leaves behind his wife and family. Life is taken for granted by too many until it is too late. Events like these serve to remind that life is delicate and to be grateful because no one knows what tomorrow will bring. May the evidence found bring clarity so that this can be prevented in the future.
Below is a timeline of the events.
1:13 p.m.
The plane, a Cessna Citation 560, takes off from Elizabethton Municipal Airport in Tennessee. It’s headed for Long Island’s MacArthur Airport on Sunday, June 4th, 2023.
1:28 p.m.
ATC loses contact with the private jet, which had now climbed to 31,000 feet.
1:36 p.m.
The Military, Homeland Security, National Security, and law enforcement agencies are alerted about the dire situation by the Federal Aviation Administration.
2:33 p.m.
The jet overflies MacArthur Airport at an altitude of 34,000 feet.
3:01 p.m. to 3:21 p.m.
Some self-identified military fighter pilots are on record making multiple attempts to make contact with the jet.
3:20 p.m.
NORAD F-16 fighter jets attempt to intercede the jet.
The f-16s are authorized to go at supersonic speeds over the Washington DC and Virginia areas. This is when the sonic boom occurs.
3:23 p.m.
The jet begins to descend.
3:32 p.m.
The jet crashes near Montebello, Virginia, about a mile away from the Blue Ridge Parkway.
3:50 p.m.
Virginia State Police are notified of a possible aircraft disaster in the Staunton/Blue Ridge Parkway area. Search and rescue efforts initiate.
8 p.m.
First responders reach the wreckage and Virginia State Police announce that there are no survivors.
Read more about the Shenandoah Valley where the Cessna Citation crashed:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shenandoah_Valley
Read our previous post about the celestial NYC phenomenon, Manhattanhenge:
https://172-234-236-52.ip.linodeusercontent.com/manhattanhenge-a-celestial-phenomenon/