Boeing Confirms Sonic Boom in Parkland

(Chicago, Ill.) Officials with the Boeing Aerospace Company confirm the boom, and accompanying seismic disturbance reported by residents of the Parkland Tuesday afternoon, was one of the company's F15 fighter jets that was on a customer acceptance flight. A member of Boeing's Communications Team, Junu Kim, says the company is required to conduct this kind of flight under its contract with the United States Government. Kim added during these special flights the jets are flown in accordance with procedures approved by U.S. Government officials. The F15 fighter jet went into supersonic mode for 6 minutes from 5:17 to 5:23 pm moving from the Licking area across St. Francois County to Ste. Genevieve. Earlier reports indicated the event was believed to be an earthquake. Last week a similar sonic boom heard across mid Missouri was confirmed by Boeing to be an F-15 breaking the sound barrier.