Authorities Investigate Virginia Plane Crash That Followed D.C. Sonic Boom

The pilots who “visually inspected the Cessna” while it was in flight confirmed that the pilot of the private aircraft was unresponsive and “slumped over,” said Capt. Alexandra Hejduk, a NORAD spokeswoman and member of the Canadian military.

In a statement on Sunday, NORAD said that fighter jets responding to the unresponsive plane had been “authorized to travel at supersonic speeds,” which would have produced the boom that was heard in the region, including in the suburbs of Virginia and Maryland.

Officials determined that the Cessna did not pose a threat, and it crashed in Virginia around 3:30 p.m., according to the Federal Aviation Administration. It was not shot down, officials said. A White House official said President Biden was briefed on the incident.

Adam Gerhardt, an N.T.S.B. investigator, told reporters on Monday that the agency would be on the ground for at least three to four days. He said the wreckage was “highly fragmented,” and he described the area as rural and mountainous.

“It will be a very challenging accident site,” he said.

Mr. Gerhardt said it was not yet known if the plane had a cockpit voice recorder or a flight data recorder, though he said the aircraft was not required to have such equipment.