Jeanne hurts 3 military members and aircraft

[senorpepr]

JEANNE-SPAWNED TORNADO DAMAGES MILITARY BASE: INJURES 3 MILITARY MEMBERS AND THREW AROUND SEVERAL C-130 AIRCRAFT

9/30/2004 - NEW CASTLE, Del. (AFPN) -- Many people from the Delaware Air National Guard’s 166th Airlift Wing here witnessed C-130 Hercules aircraft “dancing like ballerinas,” as a tornado struck here Sept. 28.

The surprise funnel cloud touched down in the late afternoon at New Castle County Airport, damaging several of the wing’s buildings, downing trees and destroying a guard shack.

Two Soldiers from the Delaware Army National Guard and one ANG Airman were pulling security duty at the guard shack. They suffered cuts and abrasions from flying glass.

Another Airman was injured when his vehicle was struck by debris, and the windows shattered.

“We are most grateful that injuries are minimal, and the troops have been released from the hospital,” said Col. Ernest Talbert, wing commander.

The damaged C-130s had been lined up about 50 feet apart from each other. Although maintainers took all the necessary precautions to protect the aircraft, high winds tore them from their chains, said Tech. Sgt. Ben Matwey, a wing public affairs specialist.

“They were all thrown from their spots,” said Sergeant Matwey, adding that several firefighters, security forces Airmen and flight operations workers witnessed what happened next. ”One of them was thrown on its side, on its wing, and actually skimmed across the base on one wing [for] over 100 to 150 yards and landed in a ditch.

“Two other aircraft went flying up in the air -- nose first, tail to the ground -- and were dancing like ballerinas in the air,” he said.

He said the driver of a security forces truck had to duck down as a C-130 flew over him after being picked up by the wind before crashing. Another aircraft was left sitting atop another with its tail on the front fuselage.

Teams of recovery specialists are currently assessing the full extent of the damage.