Loud booming sound heard in Parker County was flight testing

Several police agencies and the sheriff’s department in Parker County received calls about a loud booming sound or explosion Wednesday morning.

Officials with Lockheed Martin later said the sound was from flight operations in the area that included supersonic testing. The reports started coming in about 10:30 a.m. to officials and the FOX4 newsroom.

"Our pilots work to perform these flights in a manner that hopefully impacts the fewest number of people while still allowing us to make sure each aircraft made meets our customer requirements,” Lockheed said in a statement.

A sonic boom is created when an aircraft goes faster than the speed of sound, more than 767 miles an hour. The sound waves travel in a cone like shape behind the aircraft and the compressed sound waves are what make that explosive sound.

Springtown resident Mike Harthcock said the sound startled him on Wednesday morning.

"Coming out, I was standing right here because like I said the dogs were going crazy directions and as I said here, it came from that direction,” Springtown resident Mike Harthcock. “Like an atomic bomb. I mean it felt like it was right here. Right up under my feet it was that loud."

Lockheed said atmospheric conditions can make a difference in whether the sonic booms reach the ground.