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1550 ft. Tower Fails

To: <towertalk@contesting.com>
Subject: 1550 ft. Tower Fails
From: cowart@convex.convex.com (Michael Cowart)
Date: Tue, 15 Oct 1996 13:48:45 -0500
Dan Norman KJ1N wrote:
> 
> The article I read said the gin pole fell on a top guy cable creating a
> chain reaction.  The explosions/fires could have been attributed to the
> high-power TV/radio antennas shorting when the collapse occured.  Either
> way this is a horrible event.
>      Dan KJ1N

The fire were attributed to power lines being severed by the falling tower.
Also, a transformer in a nearby utility shack blew causing the shack to burn. 

> > According to newspapers the tower had failed before in 1969 and in 1987
> > a jet had
> > flown into one of its guywires and crashed but the tower stayed up.
> >
> > Also according to the newpapers the tower was wind rated to 70 MPH. This
> > seems
> > incedibly low considering the size of this tower and this part of the
> > country.

I also was VERY curious as to why the low rating; surely the reporter miss-
quoted the official.  We frequently have winds that high, and you know they
have to be much greater at the 1000-foot level.

73

Mike Cowart
WA5CMI
cowart@convex.com

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