A “sonic boom” by an F-22 fighter jet in the area of JFK Airport caused mass panic, Wednesday afternoon.

At around 2:30PM, YWN started receiving dozens of emails from people reporting hearing a massive explosion in the area between Queens and parts of the Five Towns in Nassau County. YWN then confirmed that the NYPD received “hundreds of calls reporting the explosion”.

The Nassau County Police Department was flooded with calls as well.

Many people took to Twitter and other social media stating that the ground shook and there was definitely a loud explosion heard.

At 2:48PM, the Port Authority Police Department confirmed that an F-22 fighter jet in the area made a sonic boom which was felt on the ground.

A sonic boom is the sound associated with the shock waves created by an object traveling through the air faster than the speed of sound. Sonic booms generate enormous amounts of sound energy, sounding much like an explosion.

The reported sound of an explosion in #Queens was two military F-22 aircraft flying over the area @FDNY @nycgov @FAANews #nyc

— NYPD NEWS (@NYPDnews) September 21, 2016

(Charles Gross – YWN)