Low-flying plane over Boca part of exercise

Ramadan

A low-flying plane and helicopter circling Boca Raton late Monday and Tuesday caused a stir on social media, prompting city police to reassure concerned residents that it was just a Broward County sheriff ’s training exercise.

Several residents turned to social media to report a small, but apparently noisy plane flying in circles around south-central Boca Raton, near the Palm Beach-Broward county line.

”The engine noise is rather loud,” one Twitter user wrote to the Boca Raton Police Department’s account.

Another Boca Raton resident turned to Twitter to tell city police that the sound of the aircraft overhead was “spooky” and “sounded like a stampede in sky as China cabinet & house vibrated,” the tweet reads.

Boca Raton police responded to seven people on social media, reassuring them that the sounds and sights were simply part of a training drill carried out by the Broward Sheriff ’s Office. Boca police added no details about the drill, however.

Boca Raton Airport flight tracking data shows a small aircraft flew in circles over the Boca Raton and Deerfield Beach area at a 2,500-foot altitude. The destination was listed as Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport, although the plane apparently flew over the area for hours.

The Broward Sheriff’s Office announced in early January that local law enforcement would take part in training exercises, but didn’t specify when, the Sun Sentinel reported.