Big BOOM Rattled Windows in Upstate Counties on Monday

Upstate residents made calls to our newsroom Monday about a big boom, and it’s probably not the last time our area will hear the loud noises. Callers said the window rattling racket was heard in Anderson, Pickens and Oconee Counties.

The most likely cause was revealed by Lockheed Martin, who said they “had flight operations in our area. As part of the pre-delivery testing, all F-16s will conduct flight tests that include flying supersonic. All our flight testing takes place in airspace designated by the FAA, and noise levels heard by the community will depend on various factors such as the type of flight operations, the power setting, altitude, and weather conditions. In January, we launched a new era for the F-16 program, with the successful first flight of the F-16 Block 70 in Greenville. This F-16 Block 70 jet is the first of 16 jets to be delivered to Bahrain. The jet will undergo continued flight tests in Greenville followed by additional flight testing at Edwards Air Force Base.” Last month, a similar “boom” was heard in the Honea Path area, which prompted calls and emails.