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Bonaire homeowners say Robins Air Force Base F-15 damaged homes

Several homeowners sent pictures to show insulation hanging from their porch, cracks in their brick, and fallen vinyl.

HOUSTON COUNTY, Ga. — Several people in Houston County say a Robins Air Force flyover damaged their homes.

On Wednesday, a Robins Air Force Base F-15 Eagle performed a flyover at The Southeast Region Little League World Series Baseball Tournament.

Afterward, several Houston County homeowners took to Facebook showing what they claim is damage from that flyover.

At about 11:15 Wednesday morning, several Houston County homeowners heard a loud noise.

"It seemed like it was right over us," Alisha Brown said.

Brown says she was at home, working, when an F-15 flew over her neighborhood.

"I saw my window. It bulged in and it straightened back up; and I said to my husband, did you hear that?! And he said, it sounded like a bomb! And I said, right?," Brown said.

According to Robins Air Force Base, they were performing a flyover with an F-15 for an event.

But, Alisha says there were some red flags.

"When we heard it yesterday, we already knew it was different because of the clarity of it," Alisha said.

Her military family used to live in Norfolk, Virginia, so they're familiar with the noise and action.

Alisha's son, Bryson Brown, also thought it was a bomb.

"I definitely asked dad what was that; and he said, it was a sonic boom; and I said a sonic boom?!," Bryson said.

Roland Leach with the Robins Public Affairs Office provided a statement to 13WMAZ. 

It read in part: "The flight was conducted at an approved altitude over 1,000 feet and at the appropriate speed. The flight did not break the sound barrier, which would cause a sonic boom."

"It was extremely low. To compare that from yesterday from like what we've seen from the Blue Angels, it was very, very different. It was not normal at all," Brown said.

Brown also says she's hiring an inspector to look for damage on her roof.

Several other Bonaire homeowners sent pictures to show insulation hanging from their porch, cracks in their brick, and fallen vinyl.

They say it's damage from the flyover.

"Definitely glad it didn't hit the house and we are still going to get an inspector out because you know, we can't see everything," Brown said.

The majority of Brown's neighbors spoke with 13WMAZ about yesterday, in-person and on the phone, just not on-camera.

They all said, the flyover seemed louder than usual, shook their home, and seemed too close to the tree line.

Robins Air Force Base also said, "The Secretary of the Air Force Public Affairs Aerial Events Support Office and the local Federal Aviation Administration gave authorization for that flight to occur."

13WMAZ also asked if Robins took responsibility for the damage and would reimburse home owners.

They replied, "We have a process for assessing complaints and complaints filing for damages will be investigated for possible reimbursement." 

For information on how to report damage, click here.

Katelyn Heck recently spoke with Robins Air Force Base Flight Test Pilot Scott Smith about sonic booms.

He says, they happen when a plane breaks the sound barrier, compressing airflow, creating a shock wave that "goes all the way to the ground."

"We know that that's not necessarily favored by some of the local residents; and we apologize for shaking the house and school and everything else, but it's really critical to making sure that the systems on the F-15 are operating the way they should," Smith said.

For more information on sonic booms, click here.

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