WIND DISASTER! TURBINE FAILS, ROAD CLOSED, AND THAT’S ALL

CHP reopens Hwy. 58 after wind turbine scare
Tina Forde, May 4, 2009 (Tehachapi News)

"The California Highway Patrol re-opened Hwy. 58 at 11 p.m. Sunday night, May 3, following a meeting between representatives of the owners of an out-of-control wind turbine and the CHP commander….

"Smith said that apparently the phenomenon of a turbine spinning unchecked is not an uncommon occurrance, but in this case it was so close to the highway there was concern for motorist safety.

"It was not clear exactly how dangerous the turbine could be if it flew apart, or how far the pieces would go, but the mission of the CHP, Smith said, is to err on the side of safety…[O]wners apparently were not in agreement with [reports that chunks could fly as far as a mile]…"

At least the folks in Tehachapi KNOW what happened to their turbine. Consider these poor folks. From watnoudan888 via YouTube

"The CHP closed Hwy. 58 between Hwy. 14 and the Monolith-Tehachapi Summit exit at 3 p.m. Sunday after learning that the turbine [located 1,400 feet from the highway] was spinning out of control and had already thrown off its cowling…

"The turbine belongs to the AES company and is one of the older derrick models that was built 20 years ago by Vestas…[I]ts white blades frequently were spinning so fast they could not be seen …[T]he only way to stop such a runaway turbine is to wait for the wind to die down…

"A wind energy expert not connected to the company said such turbine failures – which could be caused by bad brakes or a gear box failure – are seen less and less today as the technology improves."