WIND TURBINE ACCIDENT COMPILATION ©2006 Caithness
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WIND TURBINE ACCIDENT COMPILATION Last updated at 01/01/2006 Compiled by David Craig Accident type Date Site/area State/Country Turbine type Details Info source Web Alternate web reference/link reference/link 1 Fatal 1975 Choteau MT, USA 2kw Tim McCartney, Wind Energy -- http://www.wind- atop tower The Breath of works.org/article removing small Life or the Kiss of s/BreathLife.html turbine. Death: Contemporary Wind Mortality Rates, by Paul Gipe 2 Fatal 1981 Boulevard California, USA 40kw Terry Mehrkam, Wind Energy -- http://www.wind- atop nacelle, The Breath of works.org/article run-away rotor, Life or the Kiss of s/BreathLife.html no lanyard. Death: Contemporary Wind Mortality Rates, by Paul Gipe 3 Fatal 1982 Bushland Texas, USA 40kw Pat Acker, 28, Wind Energy -- http://www.wind- rebar cage for The Breath of works.org/article foundation came Life or the Kiss of s/BreathLife.html in contact with Death: overhead power Contemporary lines Wind Mortality Rates, by Paul Gipe 4 Fatal 1982 Denmark 50kw Jens Erik Wind Energy -- http://www.wind- Madsen, during The Breath of works.org/article servicing of Life or the Kiss of s/BreathLife.html controller Death: ©2006 Caithness Windfarms Information Forum Contemporary Wind Mortality Rates, by Paul Gipe 5 Fatal 1983 Palm Springs California, USA 500kw Eric Wright on Wind Energy -- http://www.wind- experimental The Breath of works.org/article VAWT - came Life or the Kiss of s/BreathLife.html down with man Death: basket Contemporary Wind Mortality Rates, by Paul Gipe 6 Fatal 1984 Altamont Pass California, USA 65kw J.A. Doucette, Wind Energy -- http://www.wind- unloading towers The Breath of works.org/article from a truck, Life or the Kiss of s/BreathLife.html towers rolled off Death: truck Contemporary Wind Mortality Rates, by Paul Gipe 7 Fatal 1984 Palm Springs California, USA 80kw Art Gomez, Wind Energy -- http://www.wind- servicing The Breath of works.org/article Dynergy crane Life or the Kiss of s/BreathLife.html Death: Contemporary Wind Mortality Rates, by Paul Gipe 8 Fatal 1984 Indiana Indiana, USA Jacobs 10kw Ugene Stallhut, Wind Energy -- http://www.wind- ground crew, The Breath of works.org/article driving tractor as Life or the Kiss of s/BreathLife.html tow vehicle, Death: tractor flipped Contemporary over crushing Wind Mortality him Rates, by Paul ©2006 Caithness Windfarms Information Forum Gipe 9 Fatal 1989 Palm Springs California, USA 65kw John Donnelly, Wind Energy -- http://www.wind- atop nacelle, The Breath of works.org/article servicing Life or the Kiss of s/BreathLife.html Nordtank Death: nacelle, no Contemporary brake, lanyard Wind Mortality caught on main Rates, by Paul shaft protrusion Gipe 10 Fatal 1990 Holland 100kw Dick Hozeman, Wind Energy -- http://www.wind- atop nacelle, The Breath of works.org/article entered Polenko Life or the Kiss of s/BreathLife.html nacelle in storm, Death: no brake, caught Contemporary on spinning shaft Wind Mortality Rates, by Paul Gipe 11 Fatal (2 deaths) 1990 Denmark 400kw Leif Thomsen, & Wind Energy -- http://www.wind- Kaj Vadstrup, The Breath of works.org/article both killed Life or the Kiss of s/BreathLife.html servicing rotor, Death: no locking pin Contemporary on rotor, brake Wind Mortality released Rates, by Paul accidentally, Gipe rotor began moving catching man basket & knocking it to the ground, third man clung to tower until rescued 12 Fatal 1991 Tehachapi California, USA 90kw Thomas Swan, Wind Energy -- http://www.wind- crane operator, The Breath of works.org/article ©2006 Caithness Windfarms Information Forum travelling, Life or the Kiss of s/BreathLife.html locking pin Death: failed, boom Contemporary swung downhill Wind Mortality into 66 kV power Rates, by Paul line Gipe 13 Fatal 1992 Palm Springs California, USA 65kw Richard Wind Energy -- http://www.wind- Zawlocki, The Breath of works.org/article descending Life or the Kiss of s/BreathLife.html tower without Death: lanyard, without Contemporary fall restraint Wind Mortality system in place, Rates, by Paul lanyard found Gipe holding nacelle cover open, found at base of tower 14 Blade failure 1992 Delabole Cornwall, UK Vestas 400kw Blades damaged “Accidents”, D http://www.brad by lightning two Krämer, BLS, worthy.com/user weeks after Dec. 2000. /nonIEbrowser/2 opening 00103/local wind farm.html 15 Environmental 1992 FloWind site, United States Darrieus turbines Accelerated, "Erosion Gullies http://www.wind- Tehachapi Pass, human-induced in the Tehachapi works.org/article California erosion caused Pass: An s/TehErosion.htm by rain runoff Example of l from service Improper Wind roads and wind Development" - turbine pads in article by Paul the Tehachapi Gipe with Pass, CA. The photos. site is now Originally written ©2006 Caithness Windfarms Information Forum owned by Florida in 1996, the Power & Light article has and the recently (2005) eggbeater or been brought up Darrieus turbines to date, saying have since been that essentially removed and nothing has several erosion changed since control practices then instituted. While these practices have reduced erosion in the gullies shown, new gullies have formed elsewhere along the ridge, hence erosion continues. 16 Fatal 1993 Illinois Illinois, USA 2kw Robert Skarski, Wind Energy -- http://www.wind- erecting small The Breath of works.org/article wind turbine, Life or the Kiss of s/BreathLife.html tower collapsed Death: with Skarski Contemporary strapped to it Wind Mortality Rates, by Paul Gipe 17 Blade failure 09/12/1993 Mynydd-y- Powys, Wales WEG 300kw Several turbines Windpower Cemmaes severely Monthly January damaged during 1994. a storm, including a large blade part which was thrown over 400m. An ©2006 Caithness Windfarms Information Forum independent witness estimated the blade piece to weigh 1 tonne and travel almost 500m. 18 Structural failure 15/12/1993 Cold Northcott Cornwall, UK WEG MS-3 Complete blade Windpower 300kw and rotor broke Monthly January away from tower 1994. during December 1993 only one month after opening. Date simply used as mid-point for the month 19 Fatal - ice 1994 Minnesota MN, USA 300kw Mark (Eddie) Wind Energy -- http://www.wind- Ketterling, inside The Breath of works.org/article Kennetech base Life or the Kiss of s/BreathLife.html tower section, Death: winter, large Contemporary chunk of ice fell, Wind Mortality cutting him in Rates, by Paul half Gipe Also Windpower Monthly April 1994 20 Miscellaneous 01/06/1994 Bonus 300kw "Birds nest Windpower caused major Monthly June failure". Date is 1994 of magazine publication 21 Lightning - blade Not known. Kirkby Moor, UK Vestas 400kW One of the MAIWEG web http://www.windf failure 1994 or after Cumbria turbines on Kirby site with photos arm.fsnet.co.uk/ Moor failed in gallery.htm ©2006 Caithness Windfarms Information Forum spectacular fashion following a lightning strike, the blades disintegrated hurling debris across the moor. Tattered remains of the glassfibre coating are all that remained on the blade tips. The nose cone was also blown off by the lightning strike. Commisioned in 1994, the accident must have happened sometime later 22 Blade failure 18/07/1995 Rüdersdorf Branderburg, 11m long piece Newspaper Germany of rotor blade “Märkische landed adjacent Oder”, to children’s 18/7/1995. Also nursery. Date is “Accidents”, D of newspaper Krämer, BLS, Dec. 2000 23 Blade failure 15/11/1995 Tarifa Spain Kenetech 90 kw Two separate Windpower S-33 occurrences of Monthly, blades broken December 1995. off during November 1995. Date simply used as mid-point for the ©2006 Caithness Windfarms Information Forum month 24 Blade failure 01/12/1995 Greece 34 Windmaster Cracks found in Windpower 300kw blades. Date is Monthly of magazine December 1995 publication 25 Fatal 1996 China China, cleaning Wind Energy -- http://www.wind- (unconfirmed) blades, The Breath of works.org/article unconfirmed Life or the Kiss of s/BreathLife.html Death: Contemporary Wind Mortality Rates, by Paul Gipe 26 Fatal 1996 USA US, boat Wind Energy -- http://www.wind- (unconfirmed) operator The Breath of works.org/article decapitated by Life or the Kiss of s/BreathLife.html small machine, Death: unconfirmed Contemporary Wind Mortality Rates, by Paul Gipe 27 Ice throw 1996 Bensersiel East Friesland/ AN Bonus Thrown ice - “Accidents”, D Niedersachsen, Case before Krämer, BLS, Germany Crown Court in Dec. 2000 Oldenburg. Public injury 28 Ice throw 1996 Borgholzhausen Sauerland, 30cm ice lumps “Accidents”, D Germany landing on Krämer, BLS, footpath, and Dec. 2000 damage to trees. 29 Blade failure 22/02/1996 East Friesland Niedersachsen, Parts of rotor East Friesland Germany blade reported daily newspaper, landing in 22/2/1996. Also people’s garden. “Accidents”, D ©2006 Caithness Windfarms Information Forum Date is of Krämer, BLS, newspaper Dec. 2000 30 Blade failure 15/09/1996 Eesmond Holland Kenetech Second blade Windpower failure reported Monthly January during 1997 September. Date simply used as mid-point for the month 31 Ice throw 29/10/1996 Krummendeich Niedersachsen, “In winter the Interview Germany rotors sling ice regarding turbine lumps through planning the air – we were permission, East cheated”. Date Friesland is of newspaper newspaper 29/10/96. Also “Accidents”, D Krämer, BLS, Dec. 2000 32 Blade failure 30/10/1996 Satrup-Esmark to Schleswig- Turbine blades Newspaper Havetoft road Flensberg broke and fell. “Schleswiger County, Pieces landed on Nachtichten”, Germany the road and 30/10/1996. damaged an Also “Accidents”, adjacent turbine. D Krämer, BLS, Date is of Dec. 2000 newspaper 33