McConnell gives update on extent of air show storm damage
MCCONNELL AIR FORCE BASE, Kan. (KSNW) -- McConnell Air Force Base is returning to normal after a storm Sunday morning canceled the second day of its popular Frontiers in Flight show. On Monday, a spokesperson updated the damage and the air show attendance.
The storm
Ten people have minor injuries after a "wet microburst" brought wind gusts up to 54 mph. McConnell says its planes were not damaged during the storm. However, six other planes were damaged, including a Kansas Highway Patrol Cessna:
- One Civil Air Patrol Cessna 182
- One privately owned Cessna 150, restored with Air Force markings
- One Kansas Highway Patrol Cessna 206
- One UC-78 Bobcat
- Two Stearman Biplanes
The damaged planes were towed to a hangar and were still at the base Monday afternoon, but the Stearman operators are working to get their aircraft out later today.
The privately owned Cessna was flipped upside down during the storm. The 22nd Maintenance Group righted it on Monday. The plane has Civil Air Patrol markings from an earlier era.
A spokesperson for McConnell said there is no dollar estimate of the damage because it happened to vendors and contractors, not to the base's planes.
The cleanup
Airmen cleared damage and debris by doing a FOD Walk. FOD stands for Foreign Object Damage. Airmen line up side-by-side, walk the flight line, and remove any potential loose items.
The goal is to find debris that could accidentally be injected into a jet engine and damage it.
McConnell's aircraft were off-station for the air show and have begun returning to home base. The return will continue over the coming days as the planes complete assigned missions. McConnell hopes to resume normal flight operations on Tuesday.
Air show turnout, refunds
The storm forced McConnell Air Force Base to cancel the second day of Frontiers in Flight. The one day that the air show went as planned almost matched the attendance of the two-day air show in 2022.
The crowd on Saturday was estimated to be more than 65,000 people. The two-day air show in 2022 had a total of 70,000.
Saturday was very hot. McConnell said 17 people were hospitalized, and 115 received medical treatment, primarily for heat-related conditions.
The air show was free, but some people bought premium seating tickets that went unused on Sunday. McConnell is working with a third-party vendor to reimburse them. It hopes to release more information about that soon.
The base will also look at ways to improve for future air shows. The next one is expected to be in 2026. McConnell hopes to have more details in December.