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| Sonic boom heard after RAF scrambled to incident | |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| A sonic boom occurs when an aircraft travels faster than the speed of sound, generating shockwaves | |
| A sonic boom has been reported across parts of the East and South East of England. | |
| The loud bang was heard in Essex, Cambridgeshire, Suffolk, Kent and parts of London at about 11:35 BST. | |
| An RAF spokesperson said: "We can confirm that RAF Quick Reaction Alert (QRA) Typhoon fighter aircraft from RAF Coningsby were launched today to investigate a civilian aircraft which was not in contact with air traffic control. | |
| "Communications were re-established and the aircraft was safely escorted to Stansted. The Typhoons are returning to base." | |
| A sonic boom occurs when an aircraft travels faster than the speed of sound, generating shockwaves that rapidly compress and decompress the air, producing an explosive noise. | A sonic boom occurs when an aircraft travels faster than the speed of sound, generating shockwaves that rapidly compress and decompress the air, producing an explosive noise. |
| While the speed of sound varies depending on the altitude, it is about 660mph (1,060km/h) at 60,000ft (18,300m). | |
| The sound, often described as an explosion or thunderclap, can be heard over a large area because it moves with the plane, similar to the wake of a boat spreading out behind a vessel. | |
| Follow Cambridgeshire news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X. | Follow Cambridgeshire news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X. |