A Mystery noise, suspected to have been a sonic boom, sent shock waves through communities along a stretch of Aberdeenshire, Scotland, coastline on the 6th January, 2006.
The sound, described as a loud, two-part bang above ground level, shook windows and tiles and prompted several calls to the police. People in Cove, Portlethen and Stonehaven heard the noise at about 11.25am, variously describing it as like a quarry blast, gas explosion or firework. But other people, who in some cases were only in the next room, heard nothing. Police are still unsure what caused the sound. It is thought it may have been a sonic boom, which is the sound made by the shock wave created when an aircraft or missile passes through the sound barrier.
Sonic booms are often heard as a double-bang, which was reported by some people yesterday. They also tend to cause windows to shatter. But that did not happen yesterday - and the RAF said there were no military aircraft active nearby.
Staff at Portlethen Academy reported what sounded like a large object falling, while a group of builders working on a property off Muirend Road also heard a bang. Staff at Michies Chemist in Portlethen described what they thought was a "big firework". Another woman, who lives just a short distance away, reported something much bigger, like a quarry blast.
"It felt as though the roof was going to come off. I could feel the tiles on the roof shaking. It was like a solid boom and I felt a faint pressure round my head."
Despite police suggestions that it was a sonic boom, a spokesman for RAF Kinloss said they were not aware of any military aircraft having been active in the area.
"Our pilots are told not to break the sound barrier. Normally if that happened every pane of glass within a 25-mile radius of the source would be liable to break. Often these things turn out to be quarry blasts."
Police, however, contacted local quarries as they attempted to find the cause. They told officers there had been no significant blast. Officers were sent to check the affected areas but found no signs of an emergency. The spokeswoman added there was no apparent threat to the public, although the incident is being kept open until police are satisfied there was no explosion. The British Geological Survey in Edinburgh said there had been no seismic activity but did suggest the possibility of a sonic boom. Grampian Fire and Rescue Service sent a unit to Portlethen but found no evidence of there having been a problem. Aberdeen coastguards also reported no emergency.
