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Sonic boom in D.C. region caused by F-16s intercepting Cessna

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Updated June 4, 2023 at 11:20 p.m. EDT|Published June 4, 2023 at 4:59 p.m. EDT
Rocket, a rescue dog, was startled by a loud boom in Fairfax Station, Va., on June 4. The sound was caused by fighter jets scrambling to intercept a plane. (Video: The Washington Post)
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Fighter jets from Joint Base Andrews were scrambled to intercept a private plane over Virginia on Sunday afternoon, causing a sonic boom that reverberated across the area, North American Aerospace Defense Command officials said.

The jets were responding to a Cessna that crashed later in Southwest Virginia, NORAD said in a statement issued Sunday night. F-16 jets from Andrews were scrambled, and the Cessna was unresponsive when hailed by authorities.