F-15s racing to Seattle trigger sonic booms

[DefiantSix]

F-15s racing to Seattle trigger sonic booms
By KOMO Staff
Story Published: Aug 17, 2010 at 2:12 PM PDT
Story Updated: Aug 17, 2010 at 3:18 PM PDT

SEATTLE -- Two F-15 fighter jets rushing from Portland triggered two sonic booms that were heard across a wide swath of the Puget Sound region, fraying nerves and knocking out 911 service to parts of Pierce County for about an hour.

The jets were responding to a float plane that had entered restricted presidential air space over Western Washington, the FAA reported.

The plane landed safely at a float plane harbor in Kenmore on the northern shores of Lake Washington, a worker at the harbor told KOMO News.

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The source with ABC News said the Secret Service will interview the pilot out of an abundance of caution, but it seems to be a fairly routine matter and does not look to be anything sinister at this point.

Det. Ed Troyer with the Pierce County Sheriff's Department said that the booms brought down 911 service across parts of Pierce County for about an hour, with service restored just before 3 p.m. Troyer asked that people do not call 911 to report the boom.

"Many house and car alarms have been set off that we will not be able to respond to," said Troyer...

Wow; I guess this is a better way to find out that your emergency services aren't ready in the event of an emergency than having a Cat 3 huricane slam into your corrupt little burgh 50 feet below sea level.

[JohnnyReb]

Awh, the good old days of the 50's & 60's. The dishes in the kitchen cabinets were  rattling dailey from sonic booms. They were common and no one thought anything about it....well, except the chicken farmers with laying hens.

[NHSparky]

I remember as a kid/teen in the west where fighters would do approaches at under 200 feet over and near our property--guys from Hill AFB duking it out with the guys from Mountain Home, and seeing a BUFF flying at the same altitude when I was working at Black Thunder Coal Mine outside Gillette one summer.

THAT was an awesome sight.

[SSG Snuggle Bunny]

The battle to rattle the cattle from Seattle.

[IassaFTots]

Nothing like the smell of jet fuel in the morning....  I miss all that racket.