A powerful sonic boom caused by a British Royal Air Force (RAF) Eurofighter Typhoon was heard across three UK counties after the jet was scrambled to carry out a Quick Reaction Alert (QRA).
Local residents in the counties of Northamptonshire, Cambridgeshire and Lincolnshire all reported hearing the huge bang shortly after 9.30pm on August 30, 2023.
The Ministry of Defense (MoD) confirmed that a Eurofighter Typhoon was launched from RAF Coningsby in Lincolnshire.
It was suggested on social media by @RescueBert that the fighter jet may have been responding to a Ryanair flight that was unresponsive or not visible on radar.
In a video shared on X (formally known as Twitter) a security camera captured the moment the powerful sonic boom could be heard.
“The RAF is responsible for policing UK airspace and would prefer not to cause any disturbance to those on the ground, however, the safety and security of the nation remains paramount,” a spokesperson for the MoD said.
The MoD told Aerotime it could only advise that the incident was related to a QRA. The department could not confirm if the Eurofighter was responding to a Ryanair flight.
A Sonic boom is created when planes fly faster than the speed of sound, which is around 761mph (1,225km/h).
AeroTime has contacted Ryanair for comment.