Mishap Near BTV Results In Significant Damage

Somebody screwed up big time near Burlington International Airport (BTV) in Vermont... and as a result, at least five planes were damaged from hundreds of rocks accidentally blasted in the airport's direction from a nearby rock quarry Wednesday morning.

The Burlington Free Press reports Maine Drilling and Blasting, a subcontractor for S.D. Ireland Companies, set off the explosive blast at around 11 am.

The blast was supposed to be aimed away from nearby populated areas... but instead, chunks of rock -- some reportedly as big as microwaves ovens -- were sent into the sky over the airport, and a nearby technical college.

"It’s a big deal. There’s a lot of damage," said South Burlington Police Sgt. Dan Brunelle.

Officials estimate damage from the rock fallout will amount to several hundreds of thousands of dollars. In addition to the flattened aircraft, the rocks also damaged property, and a number of vehicles.

Jacob Kilpeck told the paper he was outside the Burlington Technical Center for an Aviation Technology program class when the blast went off... and he and others had to run into a nearby building to escape the falling debris. When things settled and Kilpeck once more ventured outside, he found a large rock had impacted the hood of his sport-utility vehicle.

Brunelle told the Free Press the companies handling the quarry blast voluntarily shut it down after the mishap... albeit a little late. Officials with the airport, as well as the local gas and power company, spent the rest of the afternoon assessing the damage.

FMI: www.burlingtonintlairport.com, www.mdandb.com/