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RAF jets threaten to shoot down cargo plane bound for London

RAF jets threatened to shoot down a Latvian cargo plane that lost communication with air traffic ...
Newstalk
Newstalk

19.59 29 Oct 2014


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RAF jets threaten to shoot dow...

RAF jets threaten to shoot down cargo plane bound for London

Newstalk
Newstalk

19.59 29 Oct 2014


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RAF jets threatened to shoot down a Latvian cargo plane that lost communication with air traffic controllers as it headed towards London.

Residents across Kent reported hearing a loud "sonic boom" as two Typhoon jets were scrambled from RAF Coningsby to intercept the Antonov An-26 airliner.

They escorted the Russian-built plane to Stansted airport, where it landed at around 5.20pm.

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Police have searched the RAF-Avia plane, which was carrying car parts from Reims, France, to Birmingham.

Residents as far afield as Sevenoaks, Dartford, Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells took to social media to report a loud noise, which was felt at around 4.45pm.

Some said the bang shook their house.

The alarm was raised after the plane, travelling over the Channel towards Kent, failed to communicate with air traffic control as it entered British airspace.

UK authorities threatened to destroy the plane if it continued its journey, according to a recording obtained by Sky News.

"Do not cross into UK airspace or you'll be shot down," a voice is heard saying on the audio recording.

Iain Dodsworth, a resident in Crowborough, East Sussex, captured the sound of the sonic boom on a home security camera.

He told Sky News: "We thought the house was caving in or there had been an accident on the road. It was very loud, we thought 'there's no way that's thunder'."

One Twitter user, Jimmy Fletch, wrote: "Big explosion just happened around my area. Heard all over Kent apparently! My whole house shook and it set off alarms down the street too."

An RAF spokesman said: "Typhoon aircraft were launched this afternoon from RAF Coningsby to intercept a civilian aircraft south of London which was causing concern to air traffic control authorities.

"The aircraft was safely escorted to London Stansted. To fulfil their quick reaction role the Typhoons were cleared to travel at supersonic speed, any noise disturbance as a result of this is regretted."

The incident came as NATO reported an "unusual level of air activity" in European airspace.

It said it has tracked four groups of Russian military aircraft "conducting significant military manoeuvres" over the past two days.

The aircraft included strategic bombers, fighters and tanker aircraft over the Baltic Sea, North Sea, Atlantic Ocean and the Black Sea.

An Essex Police spokesman said the Latvian plane was searched and then given the all-clear to continue its journey to Birmingham.

"All three people who were on board have been spoken to by police," he said.

"It was established that everything was in order and the reason for the short loss of communication was due to a change in airspace jurisdiction


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