A French fighter jet broke the sound barrier as it rushed to join a commercial airliner that had lost contact with air traffic control today, causing a sonic boom that reverberated in Paris and its suburbs, the Defense Ministry said.
The sonic boom shook the windows of the capital, scattered frightened birds and triggered an increase in phone calls to the police.
“A Saint-Dizier-based Rafale (fighter plane), which stepped in to help an airline that had lost contact, was allowed to break the sound barrier to join the troubled plane. It broke the sound barrier to the east from Paris, “said Army spokesman Colonel Stephane. Spet said in a statement.
It was not immediately clear if the problem with the commercial aircraft had been resolved.
The unusually loud explosion sent people to their balconies to see what had caused it. It also sparked intense messages on social media and a flood of calls to emergency services.
The Paris police prefecture explained what happened in a statement on Twitter and urged people not to call emergency services because of the noise.
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