US fighter jets scrambled at supersonic speed to intercept later crashed
The F-16 jets caused a loud sonic boom around the region, prompting concern from some residents.
They were deployed after the plane entered some of the most heavily restricted airspaces in the country and failed to respond to the authorities.
It then crashed in a rural area of Virginia after a rapid descent.
Police and rescuers reached the wreckage near the George Washington National Forest by foot hours later and said no survivors had been found. Four people were reportedly on board.
It is unclear why the pilot was unresponsive or what caused the Cessna Citation small aircraft to come down.
Military officials speaking anonymously said it was not shot down, and the fighter jets did not cause the crash.
The North American Aerospace Defense Command (Norad) said in a statement the aircraft were authorised to travel at supersonic speeds, causing a sonic boom to be heard in the DC region.
"During this event, the Norad aircraft also used flares - which may have been visible to the public - in an attempt to draw attention from the pilot," the statement said.
A sonic boom is similar to thunder, the result of an object moving faster than sound - about 750mph (1,207km/h) at sea level - according to the US Air Force. The sound can shatter glass but is usually harmless to those that hear it.
Richard Levy, a retired captain and pilot instructor, Cessna probably lost cabin pressure.
Aircraft cabins can depressurise for a number of reasons, including because of aircraft mechanical malfunctions or pilot errors, he said.
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