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.
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.
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."
NATO has tracked four groups of Russian military aircraft "conducting significant military manoeuvres" in European airspace over the past two days. "These sizeable Russian flights represent an unusual level of air activity over European airspace," it said.
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."