Fighter jets intercept civilian aircraft in northern England

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By BNO NEWS

Sonic booms have been heard across the Leeds and Doncaster areas of North and West Yorkshire, as well as other parts of northern England, after RAF Typhoons broke the sound barrier as they responded to a suspicious plane.

The incident happened just before 10 p.m. on Monday when the Quick Reaction Alert (QRA) force scrambled two Typhoon fighter jets to intercept and identify a civilian aircraft that failed to respond to air traffic control.

“Communications were re-established and the aircraft has been safely landed,” a spokesperson for the Ryal Air Force said in a statement. The civilian aircraft was escorted into Newcastle Airport where it landed without incident.

Residents in Leeds and Doncaster in West Yorkshire, as well as parts of North Yorkshire and other countries, reported feeling and hearing loud booms as the Typhoons broke the sound barrier, causing some people to fear that there had been some sort of earthquake or explosion.

“No cause for concern,” North Yorkshire Police said on their Twitter feed.

The Typhoons are part of the Quick Reaction Alert (QRA) force, which responds to violations of British airspace as well as aircraft that may pose a threat. The Typhoons that were sent on Monday were scrambled from RAF Coningsby in Lincolnshire.

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