US service members injured after wild storm hits McConnell AFB, forcing air show cancellation
Six U.S. service members were injured at McConnell Air Force Base in Kansas on Sunday after a heavy storm forced the cancellation of a planned airshow expected to draw thousands.
Six U.S. service members and other civilian personnel were injured at McConnell Air Force Base on Sunday after a heavy storm forced the cancellation of a planned airshow that was expected to draw thousands.
McConnell Air Force Base, located in Wichita, Kansas, reported that 10 people suffered "minor injuries during a slow-moving wet microburst that brought heavy winds, lightning, and rain to the base."
Six of those injured were military or medical personnel while four were civilian vendors, base spokesperson John Van Winkle said in a statement to Fox News Digital.
Each received "minor injuries," he said.
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An airman and one civilian male were taken to a local hospital with minor injuries. All were outside on the flight line when the damaging winds occurred, Van Winkle said.
Spectators had not yet entered the event area due to the timeline of the inclement weather.
Sunday’s portion of the McConnell Frontiers in Flight Airshow was called off earlier in the day over storm concerns. McConnell said a slow-moving wet microburst had lingered over the base in the morning. That microburst brought wind gusts of up to 54 mph to the McConnell flight line.
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"Because of the damage to services, the base is unable to execute a safe airshow, and had to make the decision to cancel the airshow," Van Winkle said. "Safety is always our first priority at McConnell, especially when it comes to hosting the community for an airshow."
Kansas State Trooper Joe Owen said the airshow sustained "significant wind damage including at least one injury."
"As a result, the Airshow is cancelled (sic) for today. Stay safe, everyone!" Owen wrote in a Facebook post that included a photo of an overturned airplane.
Saturday’s portion of the air show brought more than 65,000 visitors.
