On 3 August, about 15:00 local, a cold front spawned a line of severe weather that resulted in high winds (78 mph) that moved three large parked aircraft (C-141, C-17 and a C-5). A severe weather warning was issued by the National Weather Service and the base weather office issued a high wind warning of winds up to 50 knots about 14:00.
The attached photos show a parked C-17 that was pushed out of its parking space and pushed into the grass. In photo 2262, notice in the background, the rear chocks still in place where the aircraft was originally parked facing east and the knocked over fire bottle. The aircraft ended up facing southwest. Photo 2288 shows the skids marks where the aircraft slid away.
A parked and chocked C-5 was also turned about 60 degrees, photo 2255.
About 3 miles away at the National Museum of the Air Force restoration area, the C-141, Hanoi Taxi, was chained to the ground (see photos at http://www.c141heaven.com/damaged177.html). The chains were broken and the aircraft spun around and backward about 80 degrees and into a parked piece of support equipment.
Rumor has it that a microburst / straightline winds were responsible as it struck a 2 mile long swath only a few hundred feet wide. The C-17 and C-5 were in that path.
Interviews with people caught outside in the burst of wind and rain said visibility was five feet in any direction (like being trapped in a white fog) with the horizontal rain feeling like steel pins hitting the body. Beyond the flightline area, many trees were extensively damaged in the path of the high winds.
edit: i can chuck a rock from my house and hit those planes. Its was a nasty storm that lasted only 20 minutes.
The attached photos show a parked C-17 that was pushed out of its parking space and pushed into the grass. In photo 2262, notice in the background, the rear chocks still in place where the aircraft was originally parked facing east and the knocked over fire bottle. The aircraft ended up facing southwest. Photo 2288 shows the skids marks where the aircraft slid away.
A parked and chocked C-5 was also turned about 60 degrees, photo 2255.
About 3 miles away at the National Museum of the Air Force restoration area, the C-141, Hanoi Taxi, was chained to the ground (see photos at http://www.c141heaven.com/damaged177.html). The chains were broken and the aircraft spun around and backward about 80 degrees and into a parked piece of support equipment.
Rumor has it that a microburst / straightline winds were responsible as it struck a 2 mile long swath only a few hundred feet wide. The C-17 and C-5 were in that path.
Interviews with people caught outside in the burst of wind and rain said visibility was five feet in any direction (like being trapped in a white fog) with the horizontal rain feeling like steel pins hitting the body. Beyond the flightline area, many trees were extensively damaged in the path of the high winds.
edit: i can chuck a rock from my house and hit those planes. Its was a nasty storm that lasted only 20 minutes.
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