Plane vortex rips roof from house while landing at LHR

[grumbles69]

Holes were ripped into the roof of a woman's house after an aircraft landing at Heathrow created a vortex.

The sudden current of air was powerful enough to blow tiles and masonry from the home of Patricia Hills in Old Windsor, Berkshire.

BAA, which operates Heathrow Airport, says only one in 10,000 flights results in a vortex.

A repair team was sent out to fix the damage at Mrs Hills' property following the incident on Wednesday evening.

Old Windsor is under the Heathrow flight path.

'Warzone'

Mrs Hills first knew of the damage when she heard "a large explosion".

The grandmother said: "I was in the kitchen preparing dinner at the time when I heard the noise.

"I was alarmed to step out the front door and see a large hole in the roof.

"Moments later, a neighbour came out and alerted me to another hole round the back of the house.

"It was quite a mess, it looked like a warzone and was quite upsetting."

Firefighters arrived within moments, sealing off the area and evacuating the house in case any further debris fell from the roof.

BAA Heathrow spokesperson Lizzie Bysshe said the airport funds a £15m Vortex Protection Scheme for homes under the airport's flight path.

A team of its engineers has completed remedial repairs, reinforcing the damaged parts of the roof.

Mrs Hills added: "The airport have been fantastic and came to fix the damage almost immediately."

[HEATHROW DIRECTOR]

<<BAA, which operates Heathrow Airport, says only one in 10,000 flights results in a vortex.>>

Wonder what precisely that means?

[jumpseater]

HD Wonder what precisely that means?

One that they have to pay out for ... ;)

[green granite]

But full kudos to them for the speed of getting the repair done so quickly instead of the dragging of their feet and wringing of the hands like a lot of companies do.

[Smudger]

I'm pushing 60 and have been flying since I was 17 and have never heard of this happening before at Heathrow or anywhere else.... is it a common occurrence ?

[DaveReidUK]

A study done a couple of years ago came up with a figure of 2.3 strikes per 1000 arrivals at Heathrow.

That's broadly in line with evidence submitted to the T5 Inquiry, which stated that 1,741 roof repairs had been carried out during the first 5 years of the Vortex Protection Scheme (1993-1998).

[cattletruck]

Granny should have installed a pair of winglets on her roof. :}

[Dysonsphere]

If you want to hear the vortex (well normal ones) pick a windless summers day and go to the Green Man pub its near the threshold of 27 L and after a plane passes sometimes all the tress rustle and move as the vortex arrives. Its very intresting to experinance it.

[clunckdriver]

A few years back we picked up a crap load of ice on a 767/300, landing at LHR, { the horizontal stab is not de iced} we began to shed it just inside the OM, a huge hunk departed the wiper arm at about a thousand AGL, after my morning walk I was about to climb into the sack when the phone rang, it was some bod from the airport asking if we were aware that we had dumped some fairly big chunks of ice on some streets/roofs and a parking lot. Of course I denied any knowlege of this event, the last thing one needs is the press phoning all day when one is due out at zero dark thirty the next day.Over this side of the pond there have been many cases of "Blue Water" bombs falling from the sky, has anyone ever been injured/killed by such events?

[118.70]

I would have expected the incidence of vortex strikes to go down as susceptible roofs/tiles get replaced with better clips able to withstand the effects.

Although changes in procedures might make new areas more subject to vortex problems (? more landings on 09R).

And I thought that I had heard that there had been an increase in problems from further out probably associated with increasing fleet penetration of A380.

I was surprised that the initial press reports didn't link it with vortex strike :

Mystery bangs on roof leave firefighters scratching their heads / Royal Borough Observer / News / Windsor (http://www.windsorobserver.co.uk/news/windsor/articles/2013/03/21/87743-mystery-bangs-on-roof-leave-firefighters-scratching-their-heads/)

although the Daily Mail pics would tend to have suggested it as a likely cause

Grandmother left with gaping holes in her roof after vortex from passing JET blasts the tiles off | Mail Online (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2297540/Grandmother-left-gaping-holes-roof-vortex-passing-JET-blasts-tiles-off.html)

[Trinity 09L]

I live (and at my request) directly under 09L (hence the title) and at six miles final. I have since the last year spent more time in my garden (age related) and noticed an increase in vortex noise at this location. With mixed landings in the future I may get less. As to the comment on roof tile fixing the property concerned is about 1990 build. My house is 1860 build so well before LHR and with slates facing east. Is the roof heading relevant? :hmm:

[jumpseater]

Roof orientation does play a part in it, as does the aircraft type, wx conditions and altitude.

Some types are more prone to generating the 'right':ok: type of vortices. If you know what you are looking at is dead easy to see if its aircraft related or just normal slipped tiles. This one was a no brainer pay out.

[bvcu]

Seem to recall a problem at southampton a few years ago with 146's only , anyone else recall?

[DaveReidUK]

Seem to recall a problem at southampton a few years ago with 146's only, anyone else recall?Around a dozen events affecting houses in Bitterne Park (on hill under the 02 approach) in the ten years to 2008.

Link to a report of a 2006 event involving a Flybe 146 here:

FLYER Forums &bull; View topic - Roof Damaged by Aircraft Wake Turbulence (http://forums.flyer.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=1&p=308390)

[chaps2011]

Living under 23R approach at MAN you can always tell a B757 has passed over as they always leave a vortex trail which is clearly audible on a calm day ( that is if we are ever going to get another calm one and use 23s as well)

Chaps

[FlyboyUK]

Over the years it's been a fairly common occurrence at Kegworth under the approach into EMA, particularly with 757's. Believe the airport also has a fund for carrying out the repairs.

[Ex Cargo Clown]

757's are a right pain if you ever play Bruntwood pitch and Putt to improve your short game! Ball goes all over the shop! You know you're doomed when you hear the "whoosh" noise with the ball in the air!

[clunckdriver]

"Cargo Clown", I thought I had heard every excuse for a bad slice shot, but yours is by far the best! Mind you, during the Battle of Britain, many golf clubs did publish special rules for such things as UXBs and other distractions.