Sonic BOOM ‘shakes the windows’ in the North West of England as the BAE Typhoon jet breaks the sound barrier during a training mission over the Irish Sea
- The jet created the huge bang as it went supersonic off Southport
- BAE Systems said the Typhoon was part of flight testing alongside the RAF
- He said the jet was offshore, but the boom may have been due to ‘weather conditions’
A typhoon caused a sonic boom that devastated the North West of England this morning.
The jet created the huge bang as it jumped supersonic off Southport, Merseyside at around 11am.
BAE Systems said the plane, which took off from RAF Coningsby in Lincolnshire, was part of flight testing alongside the RAF and apologized for any alarm caused.
The company said the Typhoon – registered as Apollo 11 – operated in an offshore range area, but sound may have traveled due to “weather conditions”.
The jet created the huge bang as it jumped supersonic off Southport, Merseyside at around 11am. Pictured: One of BAE’s Typhoons
The huge sonic boom was heard across Lancashire, Cheshire, Manchester and Merseyside.
Terrified residents thought an “earthquake” had ravaged the land and said their homes and windows shook.
The jet was part of the Typhoon development programme, which is part of the UK’s attempts to safeguard national security.
A Royal Air Force plane was in the area during the trial, but a spokesman confirmed the military plane did not go supersonic.
BAE Systems said the plane was part of flight testing alongside the Royal Air Force and apologized for any alarm caused. Pictured: His pre-boom journey
The huge sonic boom was heard across Lancashire, Cheshire, Manchester and Merseyside. Pictured: The yellow line shows the jet broke the sound barrier at over 600 knots
FlightRadar recordings show the Eurofighter Typhoon reaching 12,575 feet and its ground speed was 460 knots
The British Geological Survey said the bang was a “probable noise event” this morning.
He said: “BGS has received numerous reports from residents mainly in the Lancashire area but also from Merseyside, Greater Manchester and Cheshire who reported an event felt around 11am today.
“Data from the BGS seismic networks was reviewed and signals consistent with a possible sound origin were recorded at this time.”
A BAE Sytems spokesperson said: ‘We can reassure people that the noise reported in the Southport area today was a supersonic boom from one of our Typhoon aircraft, which was undergoing flight testing in an area of offshore reach.
“As the UK’s sovereign combat air capability provider, we regularly carry out flight test sorties as part of the Typhoon development program and our wider role in safeguarding national security.
“We are operating in cleared airspace for supersonic testing, but we apologize for any alarm caused to local residents.”
