Fighter jets scrambled over Washington DC as terrified local residents hear sonic boom

By ROSS IBBETSON, ASSOCIATE EDITOR Published: 20:48, 19 May 2026 | Updated: 20:58, 19 May 2026 F-16 fighter jets were scrambled to intercept civilian airspace over Washington DC on Tuesday. Local residents and office workers heard a sonic boom as the warplanes swooped to ensure the plane remained clear of restricted airspace at around 11.15am. The DC region is protected by one of the most tightly controlled airspace zones in the country, known as the Special Flight Rules Area. It requires pilots to follow strict procedures and maintain constant communication with air traffic control to prevent unauthorized incursions within the 30-nautical-mile radius. File photo of a USAF F-16 fighter jet No comments have so far been submitted. Why not be the first to send us your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual We will automatically post your comment and a link to the news story to your Facebook timeline at the same time it is posted on MailOnline. To do this we will link your MailOnline account with your Facebook account. We’ll ask you to confirm this for your first post to Facebook. You can choose on each post whether you would like it to be posted to Facebook. Your details from Facebook will be used to provide you with tailored content, marketing and ads in line with our Privacy Policy.