Fierce Storm Closed Airport For 73 Minutes February 12

To paraphrase comedian Ron White... "it's not THAT the wind is blowin,' it's WHAT the wind is blowin.'" Cockpit crews onboard four small jets experienced that lesson firsthand last week at Pittsburgh International Airport (PIT).

A violent storm cell that swept through the upper Midwest and into the northeastern US last week appears to be to blame for not one, not two, not even three... but four reported incidents of airliners being struck by flying debris at PIT on February 12.

Over the course of an hour Thursday afternoon, windscreens on three aircraft were struck by flying debris while on takeoff, while a fourth aircraft's windscreen was hit on landing rollout. The affected aircraft were a Trans State Airlines Embraer 145; an Air Wisconsin CRJ; a Continental Express Embraer 145; and a private Beechjet.

There were no reports of injuries onboard the aircraft, and all taxied back to the ramp without incident.

The airport was closed from 3:15 pm EST until 4:28 pm, reports the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, while crews cleared sand and rocks from runways and surveyed for any damage. The storm caused power outages affecting tens of thousands of homes in the area, and inflicted property damage throughout the city, including several roofs being blown off homes.

The storm has been blamed for 11 deaths throughout Oklahoma, West Virginia, New York and New Jersey. The National Weather Service recorded a gust of 92 mph Wednesday night at Allegheny County Airport, when the front first pushed through the area. Sustained winds of over 50 mph were recorded throughout Thursday.

FMI: www.pitairport.com, www.faa.gov/data_statistics/accident_incident/preliminary_data/