Loud boom likely fighter jets, says NORAD

TAMPA, Fla. - Viewers across Tampa Bay reported a loud noise that rattled their windows on Saturday afternoon. 

Spokesmen for MacDill Air Force Base and the 45th Space Wing at Cape Canaveral both said it is not connected to their aircraft. A NORAD spokesman said it was likely tied to its military exercises. 

“The loud noise reported Saturday afternoon in the vicinity of Tampa was more than likely the result of a sonic boom caused when two F-15 fighters from the 159th Fighter Wing based in New Orleans and operating under the direction of North American Aerospace Defense Command went supersonic to meet mission requirements,” said USAF Captain Chase McFarland. 

“An investigation on the specific details of the event is currently being conducted,” he said.

The 159th Fighter Wing is a unit of the Louisiana Air National Guard. It generally trains over the Gulf of Mexico.