The Ministry of Defence has issued an update regarding a loud sonic boom that was heard this morning. Residents across the East Midlands were startled shortly after midday on Saturday, March 4, after a massive boom was heard and thought to be caused by a military jet.
A spokesperson for the Ministry of Defence said: “Typhoon aircraft from RAF Coninsgby offered assistance to a civilian aircraft and were authorised to fly supersonic.” The MOD have confirmed that the civilian aircraft was directed to Stansted Airport and landed safely.
The RAF’s (QRA) aircraft are held at immediate readiness to protect the United Kingdom and can take off within minutes. The QRA aircraft are launched to intercept unidentified aircraft because the aircraft cannot be identified by any other means as the aircraft is not talking to civilian or military Air Traffic Control, has not filed a flight plan and is not transmitting a recognisable secondary surveillance radar code.
The duty of the RAF is to control the air over the UK and, when necessary, UK interests overseas. The RAF's multi-role Typhoon fighter squadrons are completing QRA duties from RAF Coningsby (Lincolnshire), RAF Lossiemouth (Scotland) and in the Falkland Islands.
Sonic booms are caused by loud aeroplanes as they emit pulsing waves of sound from their engine, reaching Mach 1 which is the speed of sound. At this point all of the waves of sound are compressed and move through the area together, which magnifies the sound massively.
It has been reported that the noise was mainly heard across Leicestershire, but some national reports suggest the loud bang was heard as far as Oxford and Northamptonshire.
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