Oklahoma City sonic boom tests

This article includes a list of general references, but it lacks sufficient corresponding inline citations. Please help to improve this article by introducing more precise citations. (August 2011) (Learn how and when to remove this message)

The Oklahoma City sonic boom tests, also known as Operation Bongo II, refer to a controversial experiment, organized by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), in which 1,253 sonic booms were generated over Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, over a period of six months starting in February 1964. The experiment was intended to quantify the effects of transcontinental supersonic transport (SST) aircraft on a city, to measure the booms' effect on structures and public attitude, and to develop standards for boom prediction and insurance data.

Oklahoma City's population was perceived to be relatively tolerant of such an experiment, as it had an economic dependency on the nearby Mike Monroney Aeronautical Center and Tinker Air Force Base; and, in fact, the local Chamber of Commerce threw a celebratory dinner when Oklahoma was selected.^[1]

Despite this the testing was stopped early, in the wake of damage complaints, and although the final report said that "the overwhelming majority felt they could learn to live with the numbers and kinds of booms experienced", the FAA's poor handling of complaints led to a class action lawsuit against the U.S. government. The negative publicity associated with the tests partially influenced the 1971 cancellation of the Boeing 2707 project and the United States' complete withdrawal from SST design.^{[citation needed]}