Story ID: 
Microburst Causes Houston Hobby Hangar Collapse
By: Curt Epstein
Caption: The 30,000 sq ft structure at the Jet Aviation FBO was leased by charter provider Jet Linx.
Word Count: 167
A violent storm this week in Houston destroyed a hangar at the Jet Aviation facility at William P. Hobby Airport (HOU). The 30,000-sq-ft structure, leased to charter provider Jet Linx, and which contained a private passenger lounge, collapsed late Wednesday night, during a “wet microburst” with winds exceeding 80 mph that spread debris hundreds of feet from the site.

According to Jet Aviation, eight aircraft were involved, including four in the hangar. Videos of the scene show a pair of Bombardier Learjet 45s, a Bombardier Challenger, and a Mexico-registered Dassault Falcon among the wreckage. Jet Linx confirmed that five of the aircraft in its fleet were affected.

No injuries were reported in the incident, which is being investigated by federal and local officials. None of the other four FBOs at HOU reported suffering any damage. The Jet Aviation FBO remains in service, and Jet Linx noted in a statement that its Houston flight operations will continue directly from the Jet Aviation terminal.