A Boeing 767 plane flying from Israel to the United States went unresponsive over the United Kingdom early Sunday, causing Royal Air Force jets to be scrambled towards it and setting off a sonic boom that sounded throughout London.

The retired El Al plane, which according to the Ynet news site had been sold to a German company, took off from Ben Gurion Airport on its way to Portsmouth, New Hampshire, in the US. On the way, around 4 a.m. (UK time), it did not respond to British authorities’ attempt to contact it due to a communications malfunction.

Tel Aviv to Portsmouth, NH with callsign JTN9185, then to Phoenix Goodyear. JTN - Jet Test is a ferrying outfit for large aircraft. N725SH was stored in Tel Aviv and just re-registered last month to Pacific Aircorp (leasing outfit).

[link to www.timesofisrael.com (secure)]

Shot heard around the world?