NRA exec whose relatives were killed in plane crash also lost child in 1994 scuba tragedy
John and Barbara Rumpel, prominent donors to the Make America Great Again (MAGA) movement, are facing yet another devastating tragedy. The couple’s daughter, Adina Azarian, and their 2-year-old granddaughter were killed in a private jet crash along with two others on Sunday in rural southwest Virginia. This marks the second time the couple has suffered the loss of a child, as their daughter Victoria died in a scuba-diving accident in 1994. In memory of their late daughter, the Melbourne-based couple purchased an 11-story building and turned it into Victoria Landing, an assisted-living facility. The cause of Sunday’s fatal crash is still under investigation.
According to reports, the twin-engine Cessna Citation V, which had left Elizabethton Municipal Airport in Tennessee on its way to Long Island MacArthur Airport, had reached an altitude of 34,000 feet and appeared to be on autopilot before it plummeted to the ground at a rapid rate, reaching over 30,000 feet per minute at one point. Two F-16 fighter jets were scrambled when the aircraft crossed into restricted airspace over Washington D.C. The fighter jets intercepted the plane and found the pilot had passed out. The pilot, the family’s nanny, Adina Azarian and her daughter were killed in the crash.
Experts have theorized that hypoxia — a lack of oxygen in the cabin — may have played a role in the crash. John Rumpel suggested that the plane may have lost pressurization. Aviation expert Steve Ganyard explained that hypoxia “can happen insidiously where you lose consciousness, you begin to feel tingling, you get a sense of euphoria and it very slowly overcomes the people in the cabin.” The crash is now under investigation by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB).
The Rumpels, who are known for their political activism, have previously donated to various Republicans running for federal office, including $250,000 to the Trump Victory PAC in 2020. Additionally, Barbara Rumpel, a gun-rights advocate, has been a member of the NRA’s Women’s Leadership Council since 2002.
FAQs:
What happened in the private jet crash in southwest Virginia?
John and Barbara Rumpel’s daughter, Adina Azarian, her 2-year-old daughter, the family’s nanny, and the pilot were killed in a private jet crash on Sunday in a rural part of southwest Virginia. The cause of the crash is still under investigation, but some experts have theorized that hypoxia may have played a role.
Who are John and Barbara Rumpel?
John and Barbara Rumpel are prominent donors to the MAGA movement and political activists. They have previously donated to various Republicans running for federal office, including $250,000 to the Trump Victory PAC in 2020. Additionally, Barbara Rumpel is a gun-rights advocate and a member of the NRA’s Women’s Leadership Council since 2002.
Have the Rumpels suffered previous tragedies?
Yes, this marks the second time the couple has suffered the loss of a child. Their daughter Victoria died in a scuba-diving accident in 1994. In memory of their late daughter, they purchased an 11-story building and turned it into Victoria Landing, an assisted-living facility.
What is Victoria Landing?
Victoria Landing is an assisted-living facility in Melbourne that was purchased by John and Barbara Rumpel in memory of their daughter Victoria, who died in a scuba-diving accident in 1994.
NRA executive, whose family members perished in a plane crash, also suffered the loss of a child in a scuba tragedy in 1994.
John and Barbara Rumpel, a prominent MAGA donor and gun rights advocate, are facing yet another tragedy as their daughter and granddaughter were killed in a private jet crash in rural southwest Virginia, along with two others. According to the Daily Mail, the couple lost another daughter, Victoria, in a scuba-diving accident 30 years ago. In her memory, John and Barbara bought an 11-story building in Melbourne and turned it into an assisted-living facility named Victoria Landing.
The twin-engine Cessna Citation V departed from Elizabethton Municipal Airport in Tennessee and was headed to Long Island MacArthur Airport before making a U-turn and descending rapidly, crashing into a rural part of Shenandoah Valley. The F-16 fighter jets scrambled by NORAD saw that the pilot had passed out, leading to speculation that hypoxia, a lack of oxygen in the cabin, may have caused the crash. John Rumpel, who is himself a pilot, suggested that the plane may have lost pressurization, leading to the tragedy.
The Rumpels, who have donated to multiple Republicans including the Trump Victory PAC, are politically active and have been involved with the NRA’s Women’s Leadership Council for over 18 years. The FAA and National Transportation Safety Board are investigating the crash.