A frequent donor to the NRA and Republican politicians told reporters that he lost several family members when a private jet crashed after flying through restricted airspace over Washington DC Sunday.
John Rumpel told The Washington Post that his “entire family” was on board the Cessna Citation that crashed near Montebello, Virginia, around 3:30 p.m. Sunday.
“We know nothing about the crash,” Rumpel said. “We are talking to the FAA now. I’ve got to keep the line clear. It descended at 20,000 feet a minute, and nobody could survive a crash from that speed.”
The New York Times reported that Rumpel’s daughter, Adina Azarian, and her 2-year-old granddaughter, Aria, went down with the plane.
“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 North American Aerospace Defense Command said in a statement.
NTSB investigator Adam Gerhardt said:
“Everything is on the table until we slowly and methodically remove different components and elements that will be relevant for this safety investigation.”
A childhood friend of Adina Azarian, Tara Brivic-Looper, said:
“It would be fitting that they are together.
“I don’t think they ever weren’t together, so if Adina was going anywhere, Aria was always with her.
“She went through everything as a single woman to have a baby, and I can’t say since Aria’s been born, I don’t think I’ve seen her twice without her.
“It was just the two of them every single day. That was what she always wanted.”
Friend, Judy Sahagian, 47, said: “We work hard in our lives, and — especially us women — we become accomplished, and you’re in the papers, and you’re all over, everywhere, and what’s the next thing to look forward to? What’s the best legacy in life that you can leave?
“A family.
“And that went with her. And that is so tragic.
“I would never have bet in a million years that this is how she would leave the world.
“And her daughter dying with her. And all the trouble she went through to have a daughter — oh, my God.”
Four dead, including family members of NRA exec, in crash through restricted airspace that led to sonic boom from F-16 fighter jets https://t.co/yZOOrhbA3p pic.twitter.com/DYLYPs0WEl
— New York Post (@nypost) June 5, 2023
The plane that went down in DC yesterday belonged to a Trump donor named John Rumpel. His entire family was on board.
Absolutely tragic. Please pray for John Rumpel. 🙏🏼https://t.co/w0AZsSiA1K
— Alex Bruesewitz 🇺🇸 (@alexbruesewitz) June 5, 2023
