October 18, 2016
Missouri

Wind turbine rotor falls during construction

By Brendan Welch | St. Joseph News-Press | www.newspressnow.com

A crane lifting a rotor with three blades to the top of a wind turbine tower fell near Stewartsville, Missouri on Monday.

A crew from White Construction company was assembling the turbine when the crane fell, causing the rotor, with blades over 100 feet each, to crash to the ground.

The crane appeared to have a bent arm. One worker suggested the wind may have played a factor in the incident.

Site Manager Mike Behringer was not releasing a lot information about what happened, but halted construction after the accident.

“The only thing I want to say is there’s absolutely no injuries,” Behringer said.

The rotor was being lifted to be attached to a 500 foot tall tower.

An eyewitness said she heard a loud boom Monday morning at about 8:45 a.m., when wind gusts were reported at up to 25 mph. The witness, who did not want her name published, said she saw numerous emergency vehicles respond to the scene. A crane and huge wind turbine were on the ground.

“I was here drinking coffee with the TV on and it just felt like something large fell,” She said. “We went and looked at it, witnessed it, and the crane was down and an ambulance had been called.”

The accident occurred in a field in DeKalb County, about three and a half miles north of U.S. Highway 36, off State Route J.

Wind farm construction has continued at a brisk pace in DeKalb County this year, despite some local opposition about the impact on the environment and property values.

Next Era Energy Resources of Florida is looking to build a 97-turbine wind farm called the Osborn Wind Energy Center. Construction began in May and is expected to be finished by the end of November.

The tower that a turbine propeller was being lifted onto when it fell can be seen behind an anti-turbine sign.

The tower that a turbine propeller was being lifted onto when it fell can be seen behind an anti-turbine sign.

URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2016/10/18/wind-turbine-rotor-falls-during-construction/