An Air National Guard unit in Oregon (USA) has issued an apology after one of its aircraft accidentally created a loud noise similar to an explosion, causing panic among residents.
The incident occurred on December 14, just a week after Oregon was shaken by nearly 100 underwater earthquakes.
The deafening sound startled many coastal residents who thought another earthquake was occurring.
According to RT, a training aircraft accidentally accelerated to supersonic speeds while flying 15 miles off the Oregon coast. The deafening noise startled many coastal residents who thought another earthquake was occurring.
The following day, the 142nd Wing of the Oregon Air National Guard confirmed that the source of the terrifying noise was a training aircraft, although they did not disclose the type of aircraft involved. Some U.S. military aircraft can fly at speeds exceeding twice the speed of sound.
“We understand that this has caused a lot of concern, and we sincerely apologize,” quoted the unit’s statement on Facebook.
Theoretically, when an object moves through the air at speeds exceeding the sound barrier (1,236 km/h), a loud sonic boom occurs, accompanied by a “shockwave” surrounding the object. This phenomenon is known as breaking the sound barrier.
This sound is equivalent to an explosion and can damage eardrums and shatter windows.
The U.S. Air Force and Navy have dealt with hundreds of injuries and damages caused by sonic booms over the past few years.
In 1982, the U.S. Air Force had to pay $26,000 after a family in Tennessee claimed that a sonic boom killed 61 pigs, caused a woman to lose a dental filling, and damaged the foundation of a house.
| According to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), an aircraft traveling at supersonic speeds at an altitude of 15,200 meters can produce noise similar to a bomb over a wide radius of 80 km. |
