Low flying jets spook Jerusalem residents; IDF says nothing out of the ordinary

Low-flying fighter jets roared over the capital on Friday morning, startling Jerusalem residents.

The Israel Defense Forces said there was no reason for concern, that the air force was carrying out “routine activities.” Asked why the planes were flying at low enough an altitude to cause such noise, a military spokesperson responded: “It  happens.”

In July, the Israeli Air Force grounded a pilot who caused sonic booms over northern Israel during an exercise, frightening residents of the area. The sonic booms, which are caused by aircraft when they exceed the speed of sound, were heard in the northern port city of Haifa and the Jezreel Valley on July 14.

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Residents of the areas, hearing what sounded like large explosions, had feared that some type of attack or emergency was taking place, prompting panicked posts on social media.

The military subsequently confirmed at the time that it was responsible for the noise, saying it was caused by “a pilot exceeding the speed limits for a flight during a training session of fighter jets in the area.”

The IDF added: “The pilot has been grounded.”