Loud booms heard over Tampa Bay

People from Holiday up to Spring Hill, at least 25 of them in Pasco County, began reporting an ominous boom, loud enough to rattle windows. A handful of people even called the fire department.

General speculation was that the noise came from some kind of military maneuver over the Gulf of Mexico. But officials at MacDill Air Force Base say it wasn't them.

Loud booms heard over Tampa Bay

More booms, this time in the Tampa Bay area.

The most likely culprit, sonic booms from operations at the local airbase, have been ruled out.

a reply to: GenerationGap

From ONE Air Force base. What about Tyndall, Homestead, or Eglin? They all fly over the Gulf doing training flights.

Sorry, I just think with the amount of air traffic over and around the Gulf -- it can't be ruled out.

a reply to: iamhobo

Especially when Tyndall does basic pilot training, and Eglin is testing the F-35.

originally posted by: Zaphod58
a reply to: GenerationGap

From ONE Air Force base. What about Tyndall, Homestead, or Eglin? They all fly over the Gulf doing training flights.

And don't forget Moody in Georgia or the F-15 test flights out of Robbins. And various Naval Aviation units also use the Avon Park bombing Range in Central Florida entering from the Gulf through the Lake Placid MOA and IR-55.

This isn't the first time it's been heard in this area. I didn't hear the one the other night, but having grown up around tarmacs all my life, and hearing my share of sonic booms as a Lockheed brat, I can tell you that what I heard (and felt as the house shook then) a few years ago was completely unlike any other such boom. For starters, it was like a series of booms in rapid succession, like some kind of pulse engine, though that is pure speculation.

On this one, there have already been many ex-military pilots that heard it, who also can't identify the sound. (and not supposed to do it over civilian areas anyhow, so if someone did, no mystery why they aren't owning up to it).

My guess is a new plane (or rather, one that hasn't been announced, but has been around at least a few years).

a reply to: Gazrok

They're supposed to be out something like 250 miles before they do it, but in some areas they're allowed to above a certain altitude.

A rippling boom sounds like something coming back from very high altitude decelerating.

Meteor or comet fragment. I found this but it was on the 8th of May. Who knows could have been others that came in a day earlier?

ASGARD Web Log

20140508 07:34:02 UTC ...
vel 237.7 km/s beg 120.1 km end 56.3 km
event SUMMARY ORBIT

This thing was going at 237 km/s and ended at 56 km and is in the approximate neck of the woods. I would imagine that would make quite a 'boom'.

Or instead of always calling Air Force Brass to see what's up, they could also inquire with an Admiral or two. Not like Jacksonville or Pensacola doesn't have a Naval Air Station, and every now and then carrier groups actually do their exercises in the Gulf of Mexico. (Water's pretty flat, and sound really carries when conditions are right for a thermal inversion.) Just because the Navy is doing something, it doesn't automatically mean the Air Force knows all about it. Not every exercise is a joint operations thing.

Also any word on whether or not an X-37B has been brought back down? Some articles on it have said Kenedy Space Center is considered an alternate landing site to Vandenberg AFB, and it's closer to the X-37B's launch site.

a reply to: pauljs75

Still up. Haven't seen anything on a return date yet. They usually give advance notice before it comes down.

I spent most of my life in the military and I am very familiar with sonic booms from aircraft. What I heard the other morning was not that. Nor was it like what we used to get from the shuttle on occasion. I honestly have no idea what it was. I suspect I never will.