Originally posted by ignorant_ape
reply to post by tarifa37

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IMHO - no and it amazes me that people can so quickly jump tp the " UFO / aliens did it " hurrdling over all the mundane posibilities

look at the vid - i cannot tell if they are free from any impact damage - but all 3 blades look ` significantly intact `

the seat of fire is clearly the generator hub , the cause of the fire could be any number of reasoins - electrical short curcuite or failure of a bearing being the two mist likley

look at this pic :



are you going to blamre a ufo for this too ????????????????

The truth is out there: UFO Turbine explanation could be in next week


Published Date: 03 February 2009
By Faye Preston
Tuesday 2pm -

AN EXPLANATION into the mystery of the fallen 'UFO blade' from Conisholme wind farm could be arriving this week.


As reported, the 65ft blade which fell from one of the mammoth turbines in January was sent to Germany for forensic testing.


UFO enthusiasts across the world were excited by the mysterious incident after residents saw 'strange lights' in the sky the night before the blade fell and speculated whether a UFO caused the damage.


In just a matter of days, the UFO theory could be proven or discounted as experts' finish their examination of the blade before sending their conclusion to wind farm company, Ecotricity.


Keep checking this site to see more updates.

The full article contains 128 words and appears in Louth Leader newspaper.
Page 1 of 1

* Last Updated: 03 February 2009 1:34 PM
* Source: Louth Leader
* Location: Louth

FO turbine results are in - ET is innocent!
Published Date: 09 February 2009
Tuesday 7am -

The damage to one of Ecotricity's wind turbines on Fen Lane, Conisholme, was not caused by a UFO a report has concluded.

Speculation reached fever pitch after a the Louth Leader reported a number of local people seeing strange lights in the sky in the vicinity of the wind park.

But, following several weeks of forensic examination of the turbines components the manufacturer, Enercon, has today ruled out 'collision' as a possible cause.

An interim report has concluded that bolts securing the blade to the hub of the turbine failed due to 'material fatigue'.

The bolts used to attached the blade to the hub of the turbine exhibited classic signs of fatigue failure.

Enercon have ruled out bolt defect due to the nature of the failure and the investigation is now looking into 'supporting components' - those parts on either side of the bolts.

If one of these supporting components failed it would induce stress in the bolts beyond their design limits and cause failure. Further tests are currently being carried out.

Managing Director of Ecotricity, Dale Vince said: "We hope to have the results back in a few weeks. It's a job of separating cause from effect now - we can see which bits are broken, but which bits failed first is the bit that needs forensic investigation - it's all clever stuff"

Ecotricity continue to liaise closely with The Health & Safety Executive and East Lindsey council.

A thorough inspection of all the turbines at Fen Farm Wind Park has been carried out.

Ecotricity, Enercon and the HSE have no concerns with the ongoing safety of this, or any other, wind park.

Experts investigating a turbine at the centre of a UFO mystery say they have discovered how it got wrecked.

Strange lights had been spotted shortly before one of the blades was sheared off.

Some people even suggested an alien spaceship crashed into the wind turbine.

But manufacturer Enercon has now found bolts holding the blade had come loose.

But after weeks of analysis the turbine manufacturer Enercon has released an interim report identifying material fatigue as the cause of the accident. They are now carrying out further tests to establish what caused the bolts to come loose, focusing on the blade and hub components to which they were attached. If one of these failed, the bolts could have been put under unbearable stress. "The bolt failure was the effect not the cause of the problem. They have ruled out bolt fatigue and design problems, and we know that they were properly put on," said Dale Vince the co-founder of Ecotricity, which owns the farm.

Other causes of the damage mooted at the time included aircraft, frozen urine dropped from a passenger jet and – least plausibly – collision with a flying cow.