Three planes were destroyed by the wind Tuesday at DuPage Airport, as the Great Lakes Cyclone swept through the area. (Credit: CBS)
UPDATED 10/26/10 11:31 a.m.
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FLIGHT DELAY INFORMATION:
WEST CHICAGO, Ill. (CBS) - Three small planes flipped over Tuesday morning at an airstrip in West Chicago, as the storm dubbed the Great Lakes Cyclone swept through the Chicago area.
The accidents happened at the DuPage Airport in West Chicago.
The planes were all destroyed in the accident, Chopper 2 pilot Jeff Fair reported to CBS 2. Two planes flipped over and tossed into each other in the wind, while a third was blown into a parking lot.
The planes were stationary and tied down at the time, said DuPage Airport executive director David Bird.
“In fact, they were tied down, but the gusts were so strong that it ripped through the tie-down apparatus, and in fact, flipped one airplane over the fence, into a parking lot,” Bird said.
No one was injured in the accident.
The Great Lakes Cyclone is expected to be the worst storm to hit the Chicago area in 70 years. It has already brought severe storms and tornado warnings, and is expected later to send winds gusting up to 60 mph or more.
Flights at O’Hare International Airport were subjected to a ground stop, meaning no flights were allowed to depart. Flights were also being held before arriving at O’Hare.
Airlines had canceled 125 flights as of about 7:30 a.m. Tuesday.
