News / Military

UK Typhoons intercept ‘unresponsive’ Air France jet

Tuesday, 03 May 2016 9:01 AM [ Last Update: Tuesday, 03 May 2016 9:09 AM ]

RAF Typhoon fighter jets (file photo)

Two British Royal Air Force (RAF) Typhoons have intercepted an Air France passenger jet after it lost contact with air traffic control.

The incident occurred over Yorkshire on Monday night, when the Typhoons were launched from Coningsby airbase, in Lincolnshire, on a mission to identify an “unresponsive” aircraft.

"Quick reaction alert Typhoon aircraft were launched today from RAF Coningsby to identify an unresponsive civilian aircraft,” a RAF spokesman said Tuesday, adding "communications were re-established and the aircraft has been safely landed."

Air France later on confirmed that the unresponsive civilian aircraft was one of its passenger planes flying from Paris Charles de Gaulle airport to Newcastle and was escorted by the fighter jets to a safe landing in the destination airport.

"Air France confirms that due to a radio communication problem AF 1558 had to be accompanied by two British fighter aircraft according to the procedure,” the airline said in a tweet.

Meanwhile, the sonic boom created by the Typhoons was so loud that panicked residents rushed to discuss the matter on social media.

"House shook and whole street was out; car and house alarms gone off. Apparently was a sonic boom," wrote one woman.

“Those vibrations shook my house and scared me to death,” another person tweeted.

Some concerned residents even called police and fire services, reporting they heard what sounded like two large explosions.

To prevent further panic, North Yorkshire police also confirmed the RAF mission on Twitter and reassured people that there was no danger.

Fighter jets travel faster than the speed of sound cause shock waves that are referred to as sonic booms.

Last month, two loud bangs were heard around Northampton and Brackley which were caused by Typhoon jets scrambled from RAF Coningsby to identify another unresponsive plane.

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