Low-flying military aircraft leave street in disarray
By Paul Glasser
about 3 hours ago
Huevos and Coco, dogs who live at 111 Willow St., bark in their cage after limbs fell on top of their kennel. (State Journal/Hilly Schiffer)
Broken limbs lay on the ground in front of a vacant home at 113 Willow St. after two aircrafts flew nearby Tuesday afternoon. (State Journal/Hilly Schiffer)
Tim Evans picks up lawn furniture and children’s toys that were knocked over in his backyard at 112 Willow St. after two aircrafts flew nearby Tuesday afternoon. (State Journal/Hilly Schiffer)
Residents of the Holmes Street area say low-flying military aircraft left their neighborhood in disarray Tuesday with tree limbs in the road and lawn furniture strewn across yards.
A Marine Corps officer said they’ll fix the damage today and will avoid the area in the future.
Tim Evans, 33, of 112 Willow St., said two military cargo aircraft flew at “tree-top” level over his house at around 3:30 p.m. Tuesday. Marines were hanging out the back of the aircraft waving at residents below, he said.
“They were so close you could see the tattoos on their arms,” Evans said.
The aircraft are part of an urban training exercise by the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit. In an open letter to the community, Marine officers asked for residents to be patient and understanding during the training exercises.
Evans said he was in his backyard playing with his 2-year-old daughter, Neveah, when the aircraft flew over. He said his daughter and wife ran inside because the aircraft were so loud and kicked up “hurricane strength” winds.
“It was pretty intense,” Evans said. “Everyone’s yard is pretty much destroyed.”
The aircraft hovered about 10 or 12 feet off the ground at Leathers Field 75 feet from his home and then departed, Evans said.
The aircraft knocked over his picnic table and chairs, damaged his wood fence and tossed his daughter’s play set across the yard, Evans said.
The damage was limited to the Willow Street area – nearby Spring Street was free of downed limbs and debris.
Jonda Hopper, 36, is Evans’ neighbor and said she was inside when the aircraft flew overhead.
“It sounded like a plane, but it was very close,” she said. “My back door flew open, my walls started shaking, and my front window bowed in.”
The aircraft threw her swing across the yard, knocked down her phone and cable lines and tossed tree limbs into her yard, Hopper said.
Don Allison, 67, is a landlord and owns several properties in the Willow Street area. A number of his tenants suffered damage as a result of the military fly-over, he said.
“I never dreamed of something like this,” Allison said.
The military should be responsible for any damages caused by the training exercise, he said.
Evans said he called the Frankfort Police and was directed to a hotline to report damage or complaints from training exercises.
Capt. Robert Shuford, spokesman for the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit, said an engineering and claims assessment team will visit the Willow Street area today. They will evaluate the damage and make repairs, he said.
The landing zone has also been marked as off-limits, Shuford said.
“Our intention was not to disturb anyone’s day or break anything,” he said.
The mission involved V-22 Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft, he said, which fly like a plane but can hover like a helicopter.
While hovering, the rotors create an intense rush of wind, which likely caused the damage, Shuford said.
Shuford said he apologizes for any problems and thanked the residents for their patience and understanding.
About 150 Marines are in the Frankfort and Peaks Mill areas this week conducting urban training. The unit is based at Camp Lejeune, N.C., and is a sea-based landing force.
Exercises will also include mock raids and ambushes with actors dressed in Middle Eastern clothes and carrying fake weapons.