Mon, Feb 16, 2009
Fierce Storm Closed Airport For 73 Minutes February 12
To paraphrase comedian Ron White... "it's not THAT the wind is
blowin,' it's WHAT the wind is blowin.'" Cockpit crews onboard four
small jets experienced that lesson firsthand last week at
Pittsburgh International Airport (PIT).
A violent storm cell that swept through the upper Midwest and
into the northeastern US last week appears to be to blame for not
one, not two, not even three... but four reported incidents of
airliners being struck by flying debris at PIT on February 12.
Over the course of an hour Thursday afternoon, windscreens on
three aircraft were struck by flying debris while on takeoff, while
a fourth aircraft's windscreen was hit on landing rollout. The
affected aircraft were a Trans State Airlines Embraer 145; an Air
Wisconsin CRJ; a Continental Express Embraer 145; and a private
Beechjet.
There were no reports of injuries onboard the aircraft, and all
taxied back to the ramp without incident.
The airport was closed from 3:15 pm EST until 4:28 pm, reports
the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, while crews cleared sand and rocks
from runways and surveyed for any damage. The storm caused power
outages affecting tens of thousands of homes in the area, and
inflicted property damage throughout the city, including several
roofs being blown off homes.
The storm has been blamed for 11 deaths throughout Oklahoma,
West Virginia, New York and New Jersey. The National Weather
Service recorded a gust of 92 mph Wednesday night at Allegheny
County Airport, when the front first pushed through the area.
Sustained winds of over 50 mph were recorded throughout
Thursday.
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