LEWES, Del.- After originally saying there was no report of aircraft going supersonic, Naval Air Station Patuxent River says the loud boom and shaking felt Monday afternoon was likely the result of an aircraft on a routine flight off the east coast.
According to a NAS Pax River spokesperson, the Department of Defense manages a strip of airspace used for military testing that begins approximately three miles offshore called the "Test Track." The spokesperson tells CoastTV that the aircraft fly supersonic on a routine basis.Â
"The area is located offshore, as to avoid overflight of populated land areas, but close enough for the safety of the aircraft and pilots, and to conserve on jet fuel to and from the test area," the spokesperson tells CoastTV. "Although most sonic booms generated in this area are never felt or heard on land occasionally, due to weather conditions or the details of the test flight, a sonic boom will be felt/heard on land."
The sonic boom was felt primarily along the coast, with reports as far south as Bethany and as far north as Lewes around 3:30 p.m. Monday.
There were no recorded earthquakes nearby.
It's worth noting that the nearby Naval Air Station Patuxent River issued a nighttime advisory saying operations Monday night could cause noises, as they have in the past. Originally, a message from the base's official Facebook page stated: "Pax Air Operations has no report of one of our aircraft going supersonic in that vicinity today," and told CoastTV the sound could be from Dover Air Force Base.