A deadly storm system that killed at least 17 people in the London, Kentucky, area on Friday also destroyed much of the local airport. Officials were tabulating the damage on Sunday, but it would appear that at least a half-dozen aircraft, including a medevac helicopter, several vintage airplanes and an ultralight, were destroyed by a tornado that cut right through the airport. Private hangars were also flattened, but it’s not clear how many aircraft were inside them. It was reported that one aircraft was sucked up into the vortex of the funnel cloud.
Among the casualties was ultralight manufacturer Kolb Aircraft, whose large hangar was destroyed. An aircraft under construction inside was flipped over. “You never expect something like this. It’s like winning the lottery, but in reverse. What are the chances?” Charles May, co-owner of Kolb Aircraft, told the Lexington Herald Leader. Nobody at the airport was killed or injured. The terminal and a restaurant were also spared serious damage. The tornado was part of a severe storm system that swept Missouri and Kentucky.
