US Private Jet Crashes off Jamaica Coast: Real Estate Executive Larry Glazer & Wife Jane Lost Consciousness While Flying from NY to FL
A private jet that was destined for Florida from New York crashed off Jamaica after the two people on board reportedly lost consciousness on Friday. The U.S. plane almost caused diplomatic problems since the unresponsive aircraft apparently entered Cuban airspace before it crashed. A couple of F15 fighter jets were then launched from a U.S. base to take a look at the plane after it went off course, causing a security alert that prompted the jet escort, Yahoo! News reports.
Before the unfortunate accident happened, the plane had traveled over 1,700 miles, crossing Cuba's airspace and then crashing into the sea about 14 miles northeast of Port Antonio, Jamaica. Nonetheless, Cuban officials did not consider it to be a violation of its air space as the U.S. aviation authorities alerted Cuba of the plane's approach.
According to a New York county official, real-estate executive Larry Glazer from Rochester, New York, and his wife Jane Glazer were aboard the private plane. Both were killed in the accident, the official added. Search and rescue teams were sent to the crash site, including a helicopter and a military plane, as well as the United States Coast Guard.
As of late Friday afternoon, however, authorities have not yet located the aircraft or its debris. The two F-15 fighter jets that followed the unresponsive plane had to stop the escort when Cuban airspace had been entered, according to the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD).
One possibility that may have caused the accident is that the pilot may have suffered hypoxia, a rare condition that occurs when the cabin loses pressure, which can cause the aircraft's passengers to los consciousness. The pilots of the F-15 fighter jets noticed that the private aircraft's pilot was slumped over. They also noticed that two pilots appeared to be on board, but the total number of passengers has not been confirmed.
* This is a contributed article and this content does not necessarily represent the views of latinpost.com