F-15 fighters’ sonic boom
As explained by the video in this post, on the afternoon of Mar. 2, 2024, residents in Putnam County, Florida, reported experiencing a sonic boom.
In fact, on Saturday the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office got more than a dozen calls after a sonic boom caused by low-flying jets shocked residents and caused damage ranging from items falling off walls to broken glass according to News4Jax.
One caller said they saw the sonic boom bubble and several people reported seeing two low-flying jets and hearing loud booms, which were the result of the jets breaking the sound barrier.
The Florida National Guard confirmed to News4JAX that F-15 fighter jets were indeed conducting training exercises in the vicinity at the time of the reported sonic boom. However, a Navy spokesperson said the “sonic boom” over Putnam County was not caused by US Navy aircraft, after it was initially unclear which jets caused the disturbance.
“The Florida Air National Guard recently became aware of damage and noise complaints as a result of low-altitude training in Putnam County on Saturday, March 2nd. In response to this event, Florida National Guard command has directed that an investigation take place to determine the facts and implement any necessary measures to prevent this type of incident in the future,” the national guard said in a statement. “The Florida National Guard extends its deepest apologies for any resulting damage and the negative impact to the local community.”
Frantic calls
Some calls were frantic when they contacted law enforcement on Saturday:
- “A plane just dropped a bomb behind my house! The whole trailer shook. I was like to have a heart attack.”
- “Something just exploded. I thought a bomb hit the house. Something smells wrong, like a gas smell.”
- “Any calls about what just happened? It destroyed my frigging house! Knocked everything off my walls. It could’ve been those planes.”
- “I have major damage, they flew right over my house. I have a 50-by-75 building, and the lights were blown off the walls, there’s glass everywhere.”
- “I don’t know what’s going on, but my windows are busted out, and pictures fell off the walls.”
Sonic boom
As explained by Alert 5, sonic booms are pressure waves generated by objects exceeding the speed of sound. While primarily associated with military aircraft at supersonic speeds, they can also occur during commercial supersonic flights, if permitted. These pressure waves can cause loud noises and vibrations, and in rare instances, may lead to property damage, as seen in this reported incident.
The investigation by the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office is ongoing, aiming to determine the specific cause and extent of the damage. Further information regarding the specific flight path of the F-15s, the nature of the training exercise, and potential compensation for affected residents might be released as the investigation progresses.
Photo by screenshot from video and U.S. Air Force
