Severe weather damaged more than 90 hangars and numerous light aircraft at Arizona’s Falcon Field Airport (KFFZ) last Tuesday night. According to Cunningham Aviation—one of three service providers on the field—the microburst struck the south side of the airport, where its facility is located around 9 p.m. The FBO suffered minor damage to its 30,000-sq-ft hangar, and two aircraft overturned on its ramp.
A World War II-era hangar occupied by the Falcon Warbirds Foundation was severely damaged. The storm's velocity blew one heavy metal sliding door off the tracks to the back of the hangar. The other bent inward and damaged two T-6 Texans. A portion of the roof was ripped from the building, leaving splintered timber beams, exposed electrical fixtures, and broken water pipes from the fire sprinkler system.
Part 145 maintenance provider Precision Heli-Support, which occupies another 20,000-sq-ft, 1940s-era facility, lost the roof of one of its hangars, as well as its doors. According to an airport spokesperson, the building is still structurally sound and will be re-roofed. Heliponents, another service provider, also suffered door and roof damage to its hangar, according to the airport authority. It added the hangar housing aircraft completions and refurbishment specialist Arizona Aircraft Interior Designs lost a wall and part of its roof as well.
While the Avflight FBO on the northern side of the field reported no ill effects, flight-training providers on the field such as CAE and Leopard Aviation received damage to their instruction aircraft fleets.