Posted on 08/17/2010 2:41:27 PM PDT by Jack Hydrazine
SEATTLE -- F-15 fighter jets scrambled from Portland to deal with an unknown aircraft that had entered restricted air space over Western Washington caused two sonic booms that were heard across a wide swath of the region, the FAA reported Tuesday.
Several calls from worried residents from Olympia to Seattle flooded emergency dispatchers and the KOMO Newsroom reporting two distinct explosions that rattled windows and shook homes.
The FAA had restricted a large area to aircraft over Seattle due to President Obama's visit.
A spokesman with the Oregon Air National Guard said two F-15s from their 142nd Fighter Wing were scrambled on a "real world mission" from their base at Portland International Airport but could not elaborate on what the mission entailed.
They took off from PDX and headed to SEA. Maybe they decided to stop in SFO for a coffee break before heading back to PDX!
No, no...Seattle has better espresso.
I’m 20mi North of Seattle and didn’t feel/hear anything...bummer.
Chucko locked up west LA yesterday for hours creating millions more that now hate the government for this stupid ass stunt.
Airforce One might as well drop cowflop on us as they fly by...
Eagle 1: Eagle 2, hit the afterburners - got a bogie closing on Air Force 1. Weve been cleared to splash him.
Eagle 2: Roger that, Eagle 1. Coming up on bogie now, target locked.
Eagle 1: Roger that, Eagle 2. I dont have a fix on the bogie. Go ahead, youre clear to splash the bogie.
Eagle 2: Roger that, Eagle 1. Bogie has been eliminated. Do you have Air Force 1 in sight?
Eagle 1: uhh, negatory, Eagle 2. That was the bogie you splashed.
Eagle 2: Whoops!
Was thinking MC1.
As a private pilot in the Seattle area I can say that there a LOTS of flight restrictions all over the place...military ones. A TFR (Temporary Flight Restriction) is in affect for the Seattle Everett area....says that all aircraft has to be in contact with ATC and on a discreet transponder code prior to entering the TFR area. With all the small traffic especially on a nice day like today, its no suprise that someone got in a hurry and didn’t check the NOTAM (NOtice To AirMen).
You ca listen to the the ATIS at Paine Field (Everett) at 425-355-9797.
Great info, thanks.
Updated story from KOMO.
http://www.komonews.com/news/local/100921834.html
F-15s responding to air space breach trigger sonic booms
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.
Several calls from worried residents across the region, from Olympia to Edmonds, flooded emergency dispatchers and the KOMO newsroom reporting two distinct explosions that rattled windows and shook homes around 1:50 p.m.
A spokesman with the Oregon Air National Guard said two F-15s from their 142nd Fighter Wing were scrambled on a “real-world mission” from their base at Portland International Airport. The FAA had restricted a large area to aircraft over Seattle due to President Barack Obama’s visit.
NORAD spokesman John Cornelio said the aircraft left the restricted area before the Air National Guard jets arrived, and there was no intercept. Meanwhile, a source told ABC News the plane landed just before the fighter jets got to him.
Kenmore Air president Todd Banks said the incursion was by a plane that landed at his float plane base on nearby Lake Washington. A passenger, Laura Joseph of Normandy Park, told The Associated Press she and the pilot were returning from Lake Chelan in eastern Washington and didn’t know of the flight restrictions.
Pierce County Det. Ed Troyer said the booms brought down 911 service across parts of Pierce County for about an hour, but service was 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,” he said.
KOMO News received a number of e-mails from area residents who heard the boom:
Julie McCollough from Des Moines: “Our house shook like a semi truck had just smashed into it. I grabbed my children out of the house and into the yard where most all of my neighbors had also gone and no one had a clue about what had happened and are still wondering about what had happened.”
Irene Fruzzetti from Tacoma: “The buildings and windows shook.”
Molly Carmody from Yelm: “One huge boom was heard in Yelm that blew curtains in through windows around 1:45 p.m. today. It was followed by two smaller booms.”
Ginger Watson from Federal Way: “Really LOUD, shaking windows in central Federal Way.”
Mike West from Chehalis: “There were a couple of large booms around Chehalis about 1:30-1:45 this afternoon.”
U.S. Officers serve the office, and they are pro’s.
Read Alexandre Dumas recently; Athos explaning to Raoul the notion of duty. He said it best.
He tiptoes down the steps in rapid sucession. He looks like he’s toe dancing with his little fists bouncing in front of him. He looks almost the same running up the steps into AF1
“Eagle 1: Eagle 2, hit the afterburners - got a bogie closing on Air Force 1. Weve been cleared to splash him.
Eagle 2: Roger that, Eagle 1. Coming up on bogie now, target locked.
Eagle 1: Roger that, Eagle 2. I dont have a fix on the bogie. Go ahead, youre clear to splash the bogie.
Eagle 2: Roger that, Eagle 1. Bogie has been eliminated. Do you have Air Force 1 in sight?
Eagle 1: uhh, negatory, Eagle 2. That was the bogie you splashed.
Eagle 2: Whoops!”
Winner! Now let’s build a new air force one! No muslims allowed!
No...just squirrel now...http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2572091/posts
I heard two sonic booms this am in Pittsburgh area. Kind of odd to hear more than one I thought.
It was the sound of two political careers crashing to an end....Obama and Sen. Patty Murray.
wimp...
"U.S. Officers serve the office, and they are pros."
Agreed. My previous post was only meant as humor, not as an insult to our flyboys or suggestion that they would actually make such a mistake.
I have the highest regard and respect for our military - all services, ranks, and positions.
I don't care much for gubmint's opinion papers.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.