Have any aircraft blown over?

[RTN11]

In the high winds we've had today, particularly in Scotland, has anyone had an aircraft blow over or even away?

People do tend to tie concrete blocks to the aircraft. How much difference does this really make when the winds are gusting over 60 or 70 kts?

[Johnny Tightlips]

Yes in Cork airport Ireland during the Christmas 1997 storm. Amazing what the weather can do to an aircraft

Photos: Cessna 172 Skyhawk/Cutlass/Hawk XP (T-41/Mescalero) Aircraft Pictures | Airliners.net

[Pilot DAR]

People do tend to tie concrete blocks to the aircraft.

Generally not as much use as people think. The older Cessna Owner's Manuals said that the appropriate weight of a tiedown block would be 700 pounds. The often seen 5 gallon pail filled with concrete, is more of a mace attached to the wandering aircraft - the aircraft is probably better without it!

Similarly, those wire screw in anchors (often used to form an anchor for a dog leash) are ineffective. I landed once in a 40 knot wind (which would seem to have receded from it's maximum intensity) to taxi past several other aircraft lying on their backs, with ropes tied to those screw it anchors.

When I arrived in Cape Hatteras in the 310, I got the idea is must get windy there, as all of the tiedowns provided for transient aircraft were heavy chains.

['India-Mike]

Yep, Tomahawk at Dundee. On its back and through a fence it would appear.

[mad_jock]

Any idea which one it was IM?

This hurrance bawbag is a beezer 50G75 in Stornaway

[Tinstaafl]

60G80 on the TAF for Kirkwall. About 5 kts less for Sumburgh.

[G-CPTN]

A couple of years ago (maybe more) a guy took off from Newcastle Airport in a light aircraft with the concrete blocks still attached.
One fell onto a tennis training-ground.

http://www.pprune.org/private-flying...-aircraft.html

Pilot fined after concrete block falls of his plane (From The Northern Echo)

['India-Mike]

G-BXET. I can't post a link to the photo for some reason (it was on FB). It's a wrecked aeroplane though

[Piltdown Man]

How much difference does this really make when the winds are gusting over 60 or 70 kts?

Pilot DAR appears to have some realistic numbers. Unfortunately, the majority of muppets who tie lumps of concrete to their wings forget how much lift their wings actually produce and also how. I'll suggest that most small aircraft go flying with two people. That means the wings will have to produce at least this amount of lift in excess of their own weight (OK, mass then), so that's got to be at least 340 lbs. And what is the stall speed when empty? 35 - 40 kts. Admittedly, the AoA at this speed will be greater than it would be when parked on the ground but with 60 or 70 kts blowing it is quite likely the aircraft could become airborne even with 340 lbs hanging off the wing. So 700 lbs is a realistic number. However, far more effective would be spoilers strapped to the upper wings. They don't have to be very big (think about the effects of ice!) to do their job. Then all the tiedowns have to do is stop the aircraft from being blown about.

Tomahawk at Dundee. On its back and through a fence it would appear.

Best place for them. Horrible, nasty things.

PM

['India-Mike]

G-INFO states BXET permanently wfu. It is now!

[fernytickles]

Not quite an aeroplane, but great picture.... Someone sent it in to BBC Scotland, BBC News - In pictures: Scotland battered by winter storm of a windturbine overload?

[Pilot DAR]

Tomahawk at Dundee. On its back and through a fence it would appear. Best place for them. Horrible, nasty things.

Yeah, the world needs fewer fences - shame about the Tomahawk though....

[A and C]

Wrong !

The PA38 is not a Horrible nasty thing, it is a very good trainer, far better in fact than the C152.

Any how I don't like seeing someone's property destroyed.

[fireflybob]

Once read that in winds such as these best to park the aircraft downwind rather then into wind, obviously with control locks in place and suitably tied down with concrete blocks etc.

Not sure this would help but maybe someone knows better?

[Billredshoes]

"Once read that in winds such as these best to park the aircraft downwind rather then into wind"

Yep thays what we have to do with the AN2 !!!!!

[Dan the weegie]

BXET was inspected over a year ago by the CAA and was deemed by it's owner as worth more in spares, it's far less of an airplane than it looks It's been progressively robbed of parts, which is probably why it's in the fence due to being an awful lot lighter than a regular tommie.

The tommie is an excellent plane, particularly as a trainer. Anyone who thinks otherwise has flown only a couple of hours in one

[goldeneaglepilot]

I remember G-BBCJ getting blown over at Birmingham and destroyed, stories said it was carried through the air for about 100m complete with concrete picket blocks before hitting the ground and being a total write off, That was late 80's and was due to a freak gust of wind

[Genghis the Engineer]

A PA38 at Chilbolton some years ago cleared an 8ft hedge, complete with its concrete tie-down blocks, in a gale.

Same airfield, we used to have a Chevvron in a T-hangar, a different gale relocated the hangar to the far end of the airfield (thankfully missing any other aircraft but scattering bits all over the runway), leaving the Chevvron surreally untouched exactly where it started.

I had a very close call some years ago with a microlight tied down when an unforecast gale got up - I de-rigged it still tied down, with the trike around 30 degrees off the vertical and a wingtip digging a hole in ground. Thanfully undamaged, but I was very lucky there.

G

[trex450]

I never quite understand why with so many light aircraft/people the prefered method of securing the controls is with the seatbelts i.e. controls fully back and over to one side. As soon as the wind increases the aircraft is pitched nose up, increasing the angle of attack and increasing lift as well as making the aircraft roll. The Cessna system is so simple with the pin through the control column keeping wings level and holding the nose down. I have no worries about a 172 not being tied down on level grass as long as the wind is not over 40 kts. If it is tied down the best option (assuming a nose tie down point) is to tie it down at the nose only and the it is free to weather cock as necessary, if you are using the wing tie down points allow some slack so that it can weather cock it is good for more wind. I remember watching one bouncing in 60kts but a 172's wing produces little lift at zero degrees AoA so will not fly.
If you are going to turn it tail to the wind make all the moving surfaces are well chocked and check regularly as they can fall out then you have some repair work to do.
The best place to park as well would IMHO be in the middle of the airfield where the air is cleaner away from any buildings. It is easy to be drawn into parking in the lee of a hangar for shelter but in very high winds you have lots of roll over and curl around effects such that the aircraft is more likely to be turned over.

[mad_jock]

Fernietickles the wind turbines have an operating range which because they are constant speed is linked to how much the prop can swivel.

Once it goes over a certain wind speed they brake them and feather the blades There is still some force on the blades. If this is enough to turn them against the brake the whole lot goes up in flames, just the same as would happen if you headed off down the motorway with the handbrake on.

Its actually pretty dangerous. Those turbine blades are that heavy and the fire will take all the supporting bearings out and its very possible the whole of the front will come off.

Although that one looks as if its been swiveled and is getting the wind up the chuff which will reverse the direction of rotation which is really a bad idea for most of the components.