Aviation News Item: 04939

9th Feb 2010

Source: aviationweek.com

The heavy snow Saturday that apparently caused the roof to collapse at Dulles Jet Center, inflicting heavy damage on business jets below, seems not to have affected either neighboring Signature Flight Support or Landmark Aviation across the field.

Saturday's massive failure of a hangar roof at the relatively new facility on the northeast side of Washington Dulles International Airport reportedly severely damaged several aircraft including a pair of Global Expresses and a G550, say people familiar with the facility. The owner of an aircraft servicing firm at Dulles, who requested that his name be withheld, told Aviation Week today the collapsed facility included four bays, A through D. Apparently only D bay, which housed three Gulfstreams operated by General Dynamics, survived. The Jet Center, which is only a few years old, is reportedly condemned.

In addition, "There's also an environmental problem with leaking jet fuel," said the source. When steel beams failed, they fell and cut through the aircraft, which are described as unsalvageable.

The collapse was reported widely during the weekend, but the contents of the hangar were not.

The unprecedented snowfall in Washington and northern Virginia created a massive load on the roof, apparently causing the collapse, but a worker at Signature told Aviation Week today that neither his nor Landmark's buildings experienced any damage.

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