[meteorite-list] Unexplained 'Boom' Scares Florida Residents

From: Ron Baalke <baalke_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Thu Apr 22 10:06:14 2004
Message-ID: <200211052034.MAA14171_at_zagami.jpl.nasa.gov>

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/local/orl-loccfbriefs01110102nov01,0,1115324.story?coll=orl%2Dnews%2Dheadlines

Unexplained 'boom' scares area residents
Orlando Sentinel
November 1,2002

The mystery of the big bang took on a whole different meaning for some
Central Florida residents spooked by a thunderous boom Thursday.

Shortly after 4:30 p.m. emergency operators in Seminole and Volusia counties
were swamped with calls about the window-rattling boom, but no one has
been able to explain what caused the sound.

"We've gotten scores of calls," said Seminole County sheriff's spokesman
Steve Olson. "It caused all sorts of rattling in the western part of
Seminole County."

Most of the complaints came from people living west of Interstate 4 from
Sanford to Longwood.

Dispatchers for sheriff's offices in Lake, Volusia and Seminole counties
attributed the boom to a flyby of the Navy's Blue Angels, based in Pensacola.

But the precision flight team was nowhere in the area, according to public
affairs officers at Patrick Air Force Base in Brevard County and McDill Air
Force Base in Tampa.

"From all accounts, there were no military aircraft in the area whatsoever,"
said Capt. Susan Romano, public affairs officer for the 45th Space Wing at
Patrick.

The Federal Aviation Administration tower at Orlando International Airport
reported no military aircraft in the area, as well.

No military aircraft capable of breaking the sound barrier left McDill on
Thursday, said Lt. Michal Kloeffoer.

"We don't have any fighter aircraft scheduled to come here until the middle
of next month," she said.
Received on Tue 05 Nov 2002 03:34:13 PM PST