Small aircraft crashes in southwest Virginia

US fighter jets scrambled Sunday in response to an aircraft that ultimately crashed in southwest Virginia, according to a US official.

It's not clear if the aircraft violated restricted airspace near Washington, DC, or if there was an emergency on board.

The US military aircraft caused a sonic boom heard across the Washington region.

CNN reported earlier that a Cessna Citation crashed in southwest Virginia Sunday afternoon, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.

The aircraft, a Cessna Citation, took off from Elizabethton Municipal Airport in Elizabethton, Tennessee, and was bound for Long Island MacArthur Airport in New York.

The plane crashed into a mountainous terrain in a "sparsely populated area", according to FAA.

A loud boom was heard across the Washington DC metropolitan and surrounding area, according to several government agencies.

"We are aware of reports from communities throughout the National Capital Region of a loud 'boom' this afternoon," DC Homeland Security & Emergency Management said in a tweet.

There is no threat at this time, according to the agency.

According to a tweet from the City of Annapolis Office of Emergency Management, the sound "was caused by an authorized DOD flight. This flight caused a sonic boom."

CNN's Philip Wang and Rashard Rose contributed to this report.