North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) confirmed in a release that the pilot of the Cessna Citation light plane that crashed into the mountains of Virginia on Sunday did not respond to the fighter aircraft's attempts to establish communication.
"NORAD attempted to establish contact with the pilot until the aircraft crashed," the command stated, underscoring that F-16s used flares to draw the pilot's attention. CNN reported that a source familiar with the investigation stressed that the jets played no role in the Cessna's crash but were operating under standard procedure.
North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) confirmed in a release that the pilot of the Cessna Citation light plane that crashed into the mountains of Virginia on Sunday did not respond to the fighter aircraft's attempts to establish communication.
"NORAD attempted to establish contact with the pilot until the aircraft crashed," the command stated, underscoring that F-16s used flares to draw the pilot's attention. CNN reported that a source familiar with the investigation stressed that the jets played no role in the Cessna's crash but were operating under standard procedure.