Wind turbine collapses at Aviva's Pitheavlis site in Perth
Sept 2025Published 7 Sept 2026Responsible editor: Chief Editor
- Where
- Pitheavlis site in Perth, Scotland
- Operator
- Aviva
- Owner
- Aviva
- What
- Onshore wind turbine collapsed after blade and arms detached
- Injuries
- None reported
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Companies named in the reporting of this entry (being named is not a finding of fault): Aviva
What happened
A single onshore wind turbine at Aviva's Pitheavlis site in Perth, Scotland, collapsed in the early hours of the morning after its blade and turbine arms detached from the nacelle. Nearby residents reported hearing a loud crack before a section of the structure fell to the ground close to a public path. On-site security observed the failure shortly before 1am. Emergency services attended to confirm there was no fire or physical risk, and found none.
No injuries were reported. Aviva, which operates and owns the site, described the cause as an engineering fault and stated it was working with the equipment supplier to determine the root cause. The turbine, which had been operational for under a year, was to be dismantled to allow investigation and eventual repair.
Contributing factors
Aviva described the failure as resulting from an engineering fault; a full root cause investigation with the equipment supplier was ongoing at the time of reporting.
Lessons learned
- A blade and arm detachment from the nacelle on an onshore turbine can send sections close to a public path, so operators should review exclusion zones around nearby paths.
- An engineering fault in a turbine operational for under a year led to collapse, so insurers should check recent installation quality records even on new assets.
More lessons on structural integrity and turbines, from every incident on the register.
Not yet known
- Root cause of the engineering fault
- Turbine model and exact age
- Cost of repair and downtime
This entry is updated when these are reported. Get an alert for the next one like it.
Source
Published 2026-09-07. Written from public reporting. Descriptive, not investigative. See the data accuracy disclaimer.
