Typhoon jet sonic boom caused big bang says MoD
A SONIC boom from two Typhoon fighter jets sent shockwaves across parts of Gloucestershire.
The Ministry of Defence has confirmed the big bang was caused after the RAF jets were scrambled after a small civilian helicopter emitted a signal on a frequency normally reserved for emergencies only.
Such a signal could indicate the aircraft had been hijacked or had “gone rogue”.
An MoD spokesman said the fighter planes had been authorised to go supersonic and were already on their way to the helicopter.
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He said: “We can confirm that a small civilian aircraft was transmitting inadvertently on an emergency frequency at approximately 1810.
“Two typhoons from the Quick Reaction Alert (QRA) responded accordingly and authorisation was given from them to go supersonic, which resulted in the sonic boom.
“There was no actual threat to the civilian aircraft and they soon rectified their mistake.”
Video courtesy of Ric McLaughlin
A sonic boom is the sound associated with the shockwaves created when an object travels through the air and breaks the sound barrier.
The noise contains large amounts of sound energy, meaning sonic booms are often mistaken for explosions.
Reports of the sonic boom were heard as far afield as Bath, Swindon, Coventry, Rugby and Oxford.
Speculation about what could have caused the noise ranged from a large explosion to an underground tremor.
Comments
by RoadWombat
Saturday, April 14 2012, 5:38AM
“Jet noise - the sound of freedom.”
by Bonkim2003
Saturday, April 14 2012, 12:49AM
“Quite common in the 1950s and 60s - what is the problem with a sonic boom now and then?”
by meerkatmanor
Friday, April 13 2012, 3:26PM
“raidermanuk...........fundamentalism is the demand for a strict adherence to specific theological doctrines usually understood as a reaction against Modernist theology, combined with a vigorous attack on outside threats to their religious culture (Wik).
So by it's very nature/core belief/place in today's world, it is at odds with the rest of us, that aren't. It's sad that peeps resort to violence to try and uphold their own warped beliefs. What the heck Western culture has to do with Islam I really don't know. I don't have any wish to travel around Muslem countries, get very angry, then fly a plane into a landmark building, just because I don't like their culture, and am so weak in mind and body in that I won't be able to resist their coming, or my children will fall to them.
While the world is a small place as far as the www is concerned, we all live far enough apart to live our own lives, and leave others to their own.
Consequently, fundamentalism is dangerous, and as said, attractive to nutters.”
by raidermanuk
Friday, April 13 2012, 3:05PM
“Sorry, that was for meerkatmanor.”
by raidermanuk
Friday, April 13 2012, 3:03PM
“Just seems a rather broad brush and a little insulting to infer that religious fundamentalists are a threat. Maybe 0.01% of them are. Don't forget that the term is not religion specific. For example, I've never heard of any Hasidic Jews causing a problem in the UK.”
by TimMessanger
Friday, April 13 2012, 2:49PM
“@SG1970
Greater good”
by meerkatmanor
Friday, April 13 2012, 2:07PM
“raidermanuk............yup, I've checked, and it IS the word I had in mind all along.
It was the same word that was used to describe the nutters responsible for 9/11.....not sure what you had in mind.”
by raidermanuk
Friday, April 13 2012, 1:23PM
“meerkatmanor
"They have to be on standby, due to the threat from religious fundamentalists..................nutters to you and me"
I don't think fundamentalists was the word you were looking for (I hope!).”
by timmy0811
Friday, April 13 2012, 1:14PM
“An exercise of response time for our waste of money Olympics.”
by BascMember
Friday, April 13 2012, 12:15PM
“@ School29. What a silly little twunt. I am very glad that you are not in charge of our UK Air Defence.”