Small plane crashes into Atlantic Ocean after pilot loses consciousness, flies through restricted airspace

Small plane crashes into Atlantic Ocean after pilot loses consciousness, flies through restricted airspace

The plane was a Cirrus SR20 registered to Ronald Hutchinson of Brookfield, Wisconsin.

A pilot lost consciousness and crashed into the Atlantic Ocean Saturday afternoon after flying through restricted airspace around DC; His plane has not yet been found.

The plane was a Cirrus SR20 registered to Ronald Hutchinson of Brookfield, Wisconsin.

The plane took off from Waukesha, Wisconsin for Manassas, Virginia, said National Transportation Safety Board spokesman Peter Knudson as reported by The Associated Press. The Coast Guard sent two fighter jets, Air Force F16s, to locate and follow the plane after it failed to arrive at Manassas at 2:40 p.m. Saturday. They had been informed the plane had wandered into the restricted airspace which encompasses the nation’s capital.

The pilot was about 30 miles off course and had not been responding to radio calls since 1 p.m., according to the Federal Aviation Administration as released by NBC Washington.

The pilots of the Air Force F16s confirmed the pilot was unconscious. They followed the plane until it ran out of fuel and crashed.

Hutchinson was the only one on board.

The plane crashed 50 miles southeast of Chincoteague Island along the Virginia coast at 3:17 p.m., according to the FAA. A Coast Guard helicopter was dispatched to locate the plane, but found no sign of it before heading back for refueling. A C130 plane based out of Elizabeth City, North Carolina, and an 87-foot cutter from Virginia Beach are also scanning the waters, said Cost Guard Petty Officer Nate Littlejohn.

His relatives reached by The Associated Press at a phone listing for him did not wish to comment Saturday night.

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