View Full Version : Tornado causes major damage at Sun n Fun.
Early reports suggest around 70 people trapped in collapsed tent at Sun n Fun in Florida. Internet feeds saying tornado has ripped through the site causing millions of dollars of damage and some injuries.
AvWeb has more..
Storm Batters Sun 'n Fun Fly-In (http://www.avweb.com/news/snf/SunNFun2011_StormDamage_Tornado_70Trapped_204377-1.html)
Zulu Alpha
31st Mar 2011, 19:17
The above hangar collapse was St Petersburg. Latest reports are 7 injured.
Photos here: Storm topples airplanes, exhibits at Sun ‘n Fun | Air Capital Insider | Wichita Eagle Blogs (http://blogs.kansas.com/aviation/2011/03/31/storm-topples-airplanes-exhibits-at-sun-n-fun/)
Sun 'n Fun: Event canceled for today, 7 injured after tent collapsed (http://www.baynews9.com/article/news/2011/march/225911/Storm-causes-hangar-to-collapse-at-Sun-N-Fun)
Seems a bit of a mess but fortunately no one seriously injured
patowalker
31st Mar 2011, 19:21
Tornado Hits Sun n’ Fun Airshow in Florida, Flipping Planes and Injuring Spectators | NYCAviation (http://nycaviation.com/2011/03/tornado-hits-sun-n-fun-airshow-in-florida-flipping-planes-and-damaging-hangar/)
Ryan5252
31st Mar 2011, 19:28
OK, am I the only one having a bit of a blonde moment here? Didn't realise it was an actual tornado!!
patowalker
31st Mar 2011, 19:45
No, you are not. AOPA writes: "Violent weather, including a possible tornado, touched down on the grounds of Lakeland Linder Regional Airport during the Sun ’n Fun Fly-in March 31"
24Carrot
31st Mar 2011, 19:49
Ryan, I assumed it was a fast jet doing a beat up, so I'm blonde too.
Morrisman1
31st Mar 2011, 23:36
OUCH! :eek: Glad everyone is ok, Its always sad to see aircraft being damaged too. That yellow floatplane took a fair hammering
unmanned transport
1st Apr 2011, 01:38
Mamma nature was the boss here. Notice the Grand Caravan 208 thrown over. So be it, at least no lives were lost which is good.
flysebi
1st Apr 2011, 06:22
I don't know what happens @ Sun n' fun, but in 2010 was another incident, when the engine of an aircraft burned after landing.
Reports show tornado touched down during Sun ‘n Fun at Lakeland Linder Airport - Pilot Magazin (http://pilotmagazin.ro/2011/04/reports-show-tornado-touched-down-during-sun-n-fun-at-lakeland-linder-airport/)
Zulu Alpha
1st Apr 2011, 07:20
http://pilotmagazin.ro/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/sunnfun-brady20-331_rdax_676x383-300x169.jpg
Must have been quite a storm to put a Cessna Caravan on its back!
flysebi
1st Apr 2011, 08:05
@Zulu Alpha: watch the movies, you will see that it was a biiiig storm
In Romania, @ Tuzla airfield was in the 90's a storm that puted an AN2 on it's back!
Zulu Alpha
1st Apr 2011, 10:28
YouTube - Thunder storm at Sun-N-Fun Air show
Shows what it was like during and after!!
Oldpilot55
1st Apr 2011, 10:31
At first I thought it was a Tornado that had caused the damage then I realised our cousins don't fly them
Plasmech
1st Apr 2011, 12:37
Large groups of airplanes are like trailer parks when it comes to tornadoes in Florida apparently. First Embry-Riddle, now this.
Brits: sorry if you don't get the trailer park joke, it's a yank thing.
Presumably, "trash" is the connection.
Plasmech
1st Apr 2011, 14:57
Presumably, "trash" is the connection.
Eh??? :confused:
Tinstaafl
1st Apr 2011, 22:31
The weather was quite wild across central Florida. I live in Orlando and there were trees landing on houses & power cuts. One of the local news channels reported some storms moving at 60+ mph from their radar (local news channels often have their own weather radar systems here). There were reports of tornadoes & funnel clouds too. I was glad the aircraft I fly &/or manage were in their hangars!
Plasmech
1st Apr 2011, 22:57
I guess the insurance companies will be jacking everybody's aircraft rate without much delay because of this...
Pilot DAR
2nd Apr 2011, 03:00
I was going to head over there today, before I heard about the unhappy event. Now I'll just give them peace to clean up the mess. If I turned up, they'd probably hand me a broom. My associate was just driving away when it hit, and reported a green and yellow sky.
What a sad thing to happen, but there is just no way to tie a light aircraft down to withstand that!
Jodelman
2nd Apr 2011, 21:58
The day after the storm almost all evidence of its passing had been cleared away and the sun shone all day. The only problem was the state of the car park but even that was almost back to normal today.
The organisers deserve much acclaim for their prompt actions.
DX Wombat
2nd Apr 2011, 22:08
Mr & Mrs Widebody were there at the time. Thankfully both of them are safe and well. :ok:
Interesting how nearly all the planes were high wing.
Mark 1
4th Apr 2011, 02:46
Interesting how nearly all the planes were high wing.
There were plenty of low wings piled up in the improvised boneyard, but, I agree, there was probably a dominance of low wing.
There was a DC3 that swung round and took the tail off a Navion and stopped with its tail on top of a Bulldog - that's 3 low wings for a start.
A lot of the minor casualties are left stranded by debris impact damage that needs to be checked out or fixed before they can fly away. I wouldn't be surprised if about 20% or more of the aircraft were affected in some way.
I was glad that it didn't happen 2 hours earlier when I was in the shower block that later got picked up and thrown about 100' - smashed to pieces.
I left after the airshow on Friday and now safely back in LA with 2100 NM of VFR weather (albeit 40 knot winds landing in the desert in New Mexico).
One to remember!