Navy Jets’ Downtown Flyover a Practice for Dodger Opening

Navy jets rattled nerves in downtown Los Angeles on Tuesday as they made a practice run for opening day next week at Dodger Stadium.

An F-14 Tomcat and an F-4 Phantom sped over the stadium and part of the Civic Center about 2:30 p.m. in preparation for the Dodgers’ first game next Tuesday, against the San Francisco Giants. The jets will fly over the stadium at the end of the national anthem, a Dodger spokesperson said.

The noise frayed nerves at the 25-story headquarters of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority.

“It seemed way too close. We were certainly startled,� said Ed Scannell, an MTA spokesman. LAPD Officer Jack Richter said he fielded numerous calls from officers asking what was going on.

Construction worker Mike Melton, 34, wondered whether the military jets were scrambling against a terrorist attack.

“I figured it was one of those fighter planes buzzing around to keep another plane from these tall buildings,� he said.

The fighter jets took off from the Naval Weapons Test Squadron at Point Mugu, said Doris Lance, a Navy spokesperson.

The Navy said it didn’t mean to frighten people.

“It’s quite an imposing sound. We regret some people thought it might be a threat,� Lance said. “It is out of the ordinary, and perhaps people did have cause for concern. In a way it’s a good thing, actually; it shows that our awareness level has been raised.�

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Times staff writer Kurt Streeter and the Associated Press contributed to this report.