Apologies @HeatherEastlake Our aircraft were responding to a ‘lost comms’ incident. https://t.co/CfL2IY3Ubx
— RAF Coningsby (@RAFConingsby) January 12, 2021
A video posted on Twitter shows a woman jumping in fear as a sonic boom rang in the sky over the United Kingdom on January 11.
Millions of residents across Hertfordshire, Essex, Kent, Cambridge and north and south London reported hearing an ‘explosion’, the Daily Mail reports.
The woman, Heather Eastlake @HeatherEastlake living in Cambridge posted the video (above) on Twitter.
The video has more than 392,000 views. It shows the woman doing physical exercises when the boom is heard.
The Royal Air Force apologised to her in a Tweeter post. (Read the comments from the RAF in the video above.)
According to the Daily Mail, it is a private jet which was intercepted by an RAF Typhoon that sparked the sonic boom.
The paper says the UK Ministry of Defence confirmed that an RAF Typhoon Quick Reaction Alert jet was scrambled from RAF Coningsby in Lincolnshire.
The ministry confirmed the military jet broke the sound barrier at around 700mph over Peterborough. The UK authorities allow RAF jets to go supersonic ‘if necessary.’ This is why the boom was heard, says the paper.
A private Bombardier jet travelling from Germany had lost communications with air traffic control. This prompted the authorities to send a jet to intercept the private aircraft.
The military aircraft escorted the Bombardier Global Express D-AFAL to Stansted Airport.
The Global Express D-AFAL can carry up to 12 passengers and two pilots and is used for VIPs. It can also do long-haul flights for which it will need an additional pilot. It also has a flight attendant.
The 48ft custom-painted plane offers ‘VIP transportation’ and boasts three single beds, two double beds and ultra-fast Wifi in its ‘spacious cabins.’ With Rolls Royce engines, the private jet can reach speeds of 560mph, says its website.