The U.S. Air Force issued a public apology after one of its F-35A fighters accidentally created a sonic boom during a training mission over eastern England last week.
BBC News reported that, according to the USAF, the incident occurred when an F-35A assigned to the 48th Fighter Wing departed RAF Lakenheath in Suffolk and briefly exceeded the speed of sound during what officials described as a “corrective maneuver” in routine training. Residents in Norfolk, Suffolk and surrounding areas reported hearing loud explosive-like bangs that rattled homes and sparked concern on social media.
“We apologize for any disturbance this may have caused residents,” a USAF spokesperson said, adding that the pilot reached supersonic speed “inadvertently” while conducting essential readiness training.
The British Ministry of Defence initially said no Royal Air Force quick reaction alert aircraft had launched in the area, leading to confusion about the source of the noise before the USAF confirmed one of its jets was responsible.
