Click logo for Home Page

C-141 Heaven: Hanoi Taxi Damaged in Storm

Here's a few photos of 177 parked in the restoration area near the AF Museum at Wright-Patterson. These were taken just about 4 hours before the incident described below.

Pay special attention to the position of the power cart in the 3rd and 4th photos.

Following these pictures you will find a series of additional shots taken a few hours later. On August 3rd there was a very bad thunderstorm that blew through the Wright-Patterson area and did some minor damage to 177.

I got a note and some photos from somebody who happened by after the big storm blew through the area.

Today around 3pm we had some bad t-storms move through the Dayton area. WPAFB took the worst part it seems. Winds were gusting to 73 mph. Unfortunately 177 was hit by them as she was sitting outside the AF Museum Restoration Hanger. It appears the wind forced the the tail down by the horizontal stab and then pretty much weather vaned to the left. There was a mooring line on each wing. One of them just snapped in half. The guys from the restoration hanger jacked the NLG up and were able to remove the cart. They were preparing to tow 177 over to the museum for the ceremony that is taking place next Tuesday. The damage is between bulkheads and is limited to one panel. The guys said they should have it repaired by Saturday. My guess is she must be fighting to stay out of the museum.

These are in the order taken.

On August 4th, I got these additional comments from Dave Grant.

The wind didn't have to cause the horizontal to lift the nose gear. The size of the tail is enough. Most of the time when it windmills, it is only because the wind hit the tail and pushed. The nose gear will just slide (sometimes turn to roll) along the ground.

As a matter of fact, the same storm moved a C-5 and C-17, as mentioned in the posting. What it didn't say was that the C-5 was turned about 60 degrees. It was wind on the tail that turned it. The nose gear just turned (like using rudder pedal steering) and rolled along. The mains dragged though. The steering links had been disconnected due to a tow, and it was going to be moved again today. They didn't know the storm would move it first.

Dave

Last Updated: Tuesday, September 12, 2006 10:48 am