[meteorite-list] Sonic Boom in India?

From: Ron Baalke <baalke_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Tue Jul 26 14:52:13 2005
Message-ID: <200507261851.j6QIpLc01903_at_zagami.jpl.nasa.gov>

http://cities.expressindia.com/fullstory.php?newsid=140967

Not a bomb, but a sonic boom
Express News Service (India)
July 25, 2005

Pune, July 25: A LOUD explosive sound heard across the city around 12.40
pm on Monday caused buildings to shake and glass panes to rattle and
even break in some housing societies. Alarmed citizens called this
newspaper's office till late in the evening wanting to know the origins
of the sound.

Several had also called up the local police stations and the fire
brigade to gauge the cause of the sound.

Sources in the defence establishment, on conditions of anonymity, said
it was a sonic boom - caused when an aeroplane breaks the sound barrier
and flies faster than the speed of sound.

Many reported seeing Air Force planes in the sky at the time. However,
the Air Force Station denies any knowledge of the sound. "We did carry
out training sorties at the time but we know nothing about an explosive
sound," said Group Captain SN Deshpande, chief operating officer, Air
Force Station, Lohegaon. "The planes were not flying at low altitude
over civilian area," he added.

As for the police, Commissioner DN Jadhav said there has been no
explosion or crash anywhere in the city and attributed it to a sonic boom.

Fire chief LN Raut said that he had been inundated with calls from
anxious people. "We have received no call for explosion, a crash or
fire in the city following the sound. Its probable cause is the sonic
boom because I heard aeroplanes in the sky," he said.

However, Pune Airport director Deepak Shastry said he had heard no
explosive sound. "I have neither been informed nor do I know of any
such sound. The Air Control Tower is controlled by the Air Force and
they too have not informed me of any sound."
Received on Tue 26 Jul 2005 02:51:19 PM PDT