A hangar roof at São Paulo Congonhas Airport collapsed on Thursday during a summer storm that closed the airport, damaging a Challenger 300 and crushing a King Air. AIN could not get confirmation of other aircraft damaged during the mishap. The 2014 Challenger 300 had been delivered to the customer in June.
Since 2000, Target Aviação has operated the 24,400-sq-ft hangar, which dates back to at least the 1980s and was formerly the maintenance hangar for defunct airline Transbrasil. Metal roof trusses bridged a 147-foot span between masonry side walls. Post-accident photos show the south end of the truss over the hangar door fell onto the King Air, with two trusses coming to rest on the Challenger, raising the nose landing gear off the ground.
A second Target hangar next door was undamaged. Hangars at the airport are public property, held on lease. Federal airport administrator Infraero told AIN, “Maintenance is the responsibility of the aviation company,” but could not immediately confirm the age of the hangar or its roof. No one at Target was authorized to comment. The hangar previously survived wind stronger than the reported 53 mph in last week's event, including a 2007 storm that tore the roofs off four other hangars at the airport.