GLOUCESTER , MASS. (WHDH) - A wind turbine in Gloucester parted ways with one of its blades Sunday morning, leading to road closures and an investigation by city officials.
The City of Gloucester said a mechanical failure led to the blade dropping from its 492-foot turbine in the Blackburn Industrial Park Sunday morning.
“I was surprised,” said Manchester resident Jim Diedrich. “I’ve seen a lot of wind machines all over the world, and I have never heard of one of the blades falling off.”
Reports of the crash initially came in around 7 a.m., according to a press release from both Gloucester Fire and the mayor’s office.
No injuries or structural damage were reported as the fire department set up a 450-foot collapse zone around the turbine as a precaution, closing part of Great Republic Drive.
Investigators worked with Applied Materials, which owns and operates the turbine, and eventually determined that while the exact cause of the failure was unknown, inspections found the turbine tower and its remaining blades posed no immediate “structural concerns.”
Great Republic Drive was later reopened while the exclusion zone remained, limited to Applied Materials’ property.
The company told officials the remaining turbine blades have since been secured and locked into place as an investigation continues.
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