The passage of Depression Kristin caused significant damage to Air Base No. 5, in Monte Real, in the municipality of Leiria, where at least four Portuguese Air Force F-16 fighters were damaged after an extreme gust of wind recorded during the early hours of last Wednesday, January 28th. The incident occurred without victims, but resulted in losses valued at several million euros.
The episode took place in the early hours of Wednesday, when the violence of the wind overcame the resistance of the base’s structures, directly affecting aircraft that were in a maintenance hangar, in one of the most critical moments associated with the storm.
Extreme gusts at the origin of the incident
According to the newspaper Correio da Manhã, a wind gust of 178 km/h was recorded at Monte Real Air Base at 5 am on January 28, a value so high that it ended up destroying the meteorological measurement structure installed at the site.
According to the same source, Monte Real was one of the areas where the Kristin depression entered continental territory, which helps to explain the intensity of the phenomena recorded in that area.
Hangar hit in the early hours of the morning
The newspaper writes that the most serious damage occurred when strong winds blew open the large gates of the hangar where aircraft from the air defense squadron were located. The gates ended up falling directly onto two of the F-16 fighters parked there.
The publication adds that a third plane was pushed by the wind and hit the nose of a fourth F-16, increasing the damage inside the maintenance space.
Protected aircraft and additional damage
The same source states that the remaining F-16s parked at the base were not hit, as they were sheltering in so-called sheltersstructures designed to withstand adverse weather conditions.
Even so, the impact of the storm was not limited to the hangar, having caused damage to other buildings and several vehicles serving the military unit.
Official Air Force Assessment
According to an official source from the Portuguese Air Force, Air Base No. 5 suffered “significant damage resulting in no injuries, limited to extensive material damage”, in a direct reference to the extent of the damage caused by the storm.
According to the same source, the response was immediate, with the institution acting to “reestablish the normality of the Unit’s activity, giving priority to the safety of the military and civilian workers who serve there”.
Operational mission maintained
The Air Force also ensures that, “despite the impact of Depression Kristin”, the country’s air defense mission remains operational, stressing that the damage recorded does not compromise the response capacity of the national airspace surveillance and protection system.
He adds that the losses caused by the partial destruction of the hangar and the damage to the four F-16s amount to several million euros, and a detailed technical assessment of the full extent of the damage is still underway.
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