The loud noise heard throughout the D.C. area Sunday afternoon was caused by a sonic boom from a North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) aircraft.
According to a news release from NORAD, a NORAD f-16 fighter aircraft in coordination with the Federal Aviation Administration responded to an unresponsive Cessna 560 Citation V aircraft over Washington, D.C. and northern Virginia.
The F-16 was authorized to travel at supersonic speeds, which caused the loud boom that was heard in some areas. However, a Montgomery County Police spokesperson told MCM that no calls for service were received in connection with the noise.
The aircraft also used flares to get the pilot’s attention.
The Cessna was intercepted at 3:20 p.m. The pilot was unresponsive. The plane then crashed near the George Washington National Forest in Virginia. No survivors have been located according to officials.
A sonic boom is the sound associated with shock waves created when an object travels faster than the speed of sound.
NORAD Responds to an Unresponsive Aircraft over the National Capital Region pic.twitter.com/EX7r1B1Uum
— 1st AF/America's AOC (@1stAF) June 4, 2023
