A Sonic boom was heard in Central Maryland caused by NORAD jets Officials solved the mystery
Residents of Central Maryland were startled by a loud sonic boom on the afternoon of June 6, 2023. The crack was caused by two F-16 fighter jets scrambled by the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) to intercept an unresponsive aircraft that later crashed near the Maryland-Pennsylvania border.
According to a statement by NORAD, the jets were dispatched from Joint Base Andrews in Maryland after air traffic controllers lost contact with a small private plane flying from Philadelphia to Washington, D.C. The aircraft was reportedly flying erratically and not responding to radio calls.
The F-16s intercepted the plane over Central Maryland and attempted to establish visual contact. When the aircraft did not respond to radio calls or optical signals, the pilots of the F-16s decided to create a sonic boom to get the pilots’ attention on the unresponsive aircraft.
The sonic boom, which was heard across Central Maryland, was caused by the shock waves produced by the F-16s as they broke the sound barrier. The crash was strong enough to rattle buildings and shake the ground, causing concern among residents unaware of the military exercise.
NORAD later confirmed that the unresponsive aircraft crashed near the Maryland-Pennsylvania border. The fate of the occupants of the plane is not yet known. The cause of the crash is also under investigation.
NORAD confirms jets created sonic boom to intercept unresponsive aircraft
The North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) has confirmed that two F-16 fighter jets created a sonic boom over Central Maryland on June 6, 2023, to intercept an unresponsive aircraft that crashed near the Maryland-Pennsylvania border.
In a statement, NORAD said that the jets were scrambled from Joint Base Andrews in Maryland after air traffic controllers lost contact with a small private plane flying from Philadelphia to Washington, D.C. The aircraft was reportedly flying erratically and not responding to radio calls.
The F-16s intercepted the plane over Central Maryland and attempted to establish visual contact. When the aircraft did not respond to radio calls or optical signals, the pilots of the F-16s decided to a sonic boom to get pilots’ attention to the plane.
