"Typhoon aircraft from RAF Coningsby were scrambled this morning, as part of the UK's Quick Reaction Alert (QRA) procedures, after an aircraft lost communications in UK airspace," an RAF spokeswoman said. "The aircraft was intercepted and its communications were subsequently re-established." Jets' sonic boom heard in parts of South East
The aircraft first developed problems as it flew across Germany on its way to the US, said one of its pilots. The pilot praised the speed of the RAF response, but said he was shocked when he first saw the fighters. Steven Giordano told the BBC: "It took us about 10 minutes to realize that the radio wasn't working and then about 10 minutes to resolve that problem. Amazing how fast the RAF reacted. I applaud them for that." He said the crew was busy checking frequencies when the radio came back online and had not noticed the RAF fighters. "I looked left and about had a heart attack when I saw one - so close - strobes on and with blueish 'glow strips' along the side of his fuselage. "We flashed our landing lights to acknowledge and established radio contact on 'guard'... with the fighters. "We were already talking to London control at that point. "They remained with us for about five minutes." Aircraft radio fault led to RAF jets' sonic booms
