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Crash of small private jet in rural Virginia kills all 5 on board, authorities say
Richmond, Va. — A small private jet crashed in woods and burned Sunday afternoon near a small airport in rural Virginia, killing all five people aboard, police said.
The twin-engine IAI Astra 1125 went down amid trees along an airport road in Hot Springs, a community in the shadow of the Allegheny Mountains, killing the pilot and three other adults along with a child, Virginia State Police said in a statement.
The Recorder, Austin Hall / Handout via REUTERS
Police and other emergency responders converged on the site in Bath County after the crash occurred about 3 p.m.
A state police spokesman told The Associated Pressthe plane caught fire on impact. Investigators were working to confirm the origin of the flight and where it was flying to, Sgt. Rick Garletts said by email Sunday evening.
“Small crash site, everything is burnt, meaning the tail numbers are unidentifiable,” Garletts said, adding state police were working with the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board to try to identify the flight details and the occupants.
An FAA statement gave no preliminary information on the circumstances of the crash and said the agency and the NTSB will investigate.
CBS Roanoke, Va. affiliate WDBJ-TV reports that the plane crashed at Ingalls Field Airport.
Police told the station the flight originated in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. and wasn’t scheduled to land at Ingalls Field, adding that it was trying to make an emergency landing when it ran short of the runway, hit several trees and crashed into a nearby hillside, causing a brush fire. It was quickly extinguished, WDBJ said.
Photos showed what appeared to be plumes of white smoke rising from the impact site.
The airport was closed in the aftermath of the crash.
Hot Springs is about 165 miles west of Virginia’s capital, Richmond.
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NEW YORK — Drones have been banned from flying over several New Jersey towns, the Federal Aviation Administration confirms to CBS News.
The FAA order covers nearly two dozen towns, including Jersey City, Harrison, Edison, Bayonne and Camden. It will be in effect until Jan. 17.
The order says no unmanned aircraft can operate below 400 feet within one nautical mile of the airspace specified in each area. Additionally, it allows the government to use “deadly force” against the drones if they pose an “imminent security threat.”
“Pilots of aircraft that do not adhere to the procedures in the national security requirements for aircraft operations contained in this section may be intercepted, and/or detained and interviewed by federal, state, or local law enforcement or other government personnel,” the order reads in part.
Several of the zones are centered around infrastructure, like power substations. Others cover areas like the Kearny, New Jersey port and airspace around military installations like Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst in South Jersey, or airports such as Newark-Liberty International Airport.
Earlier this month, the Florham Park, New Jersey police chief told residents drone sightings had been reported above “water reservoirs, electric transmission lines, rail stations, police departments, and military installations.”
Where are drones banned in New Jersey?
North Jersey:
- Cedar Grove
- Bridgewater
- North Brunswick
- Metuchen
- South Brunswick
- Edison
- Branchburg
- Sewaren
- Jersey City
- Harrison, Essex County
- Elizabeth
- Bayonne
- Clifton
- Kearny
Central Jersey:
South Jersey:
- Burlington
- Evesham
- Camden
- Gloucester City
- Westampton
- Winslow
- Hancocks Bridge, Salem County
See the full order from the FAA here.
Mysterious drones over New Jersey and beyond
Drones sightings have been reported all month long, first over Morris County, New Jersey and then over several other East Coast states.
Federal, state and local officials have been demanding more information about where they are coming from and what’s being done to stop them. The FBI is leading the investigation and tells CBS News it has received thousands of tips.
While the White House says there is no known threat, New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy recently sent a letter to President Joe Biden asking for more federal resources.
On Wednesday, a push from Sen. Chuck Schumer to give local law enforcement more ways to track drones was blocked in the Senate.
Check back soon for the latest updates on this developing story.
contributed to this report.