Ageing turbine collapses onto road at Changpo wind farm, Yeongdeok County
EIR-0571Other entries that name Yeongdeok
Provisional entry. Confirmed so far: an onshore wind turbine reported to be 21 years old collapsed across a public road following a blade failure in light winds, per a single short report. Not yet known: the date, site details, turbine capacity, whether anyone was hurt, and the cause of the blade failure. Next update: 10 September 2026.
Investigators examining the collapse of an onshore wind turbine at the Changpo wind farm in Yeongdeok County, North Gyeongsang Province, South Korea, reported that it was found folded across a public road, and that the failure began with a blade tearing during light wind conditions, reported as around 16 mph. The turbine was reported to be 21 years old. Investigators were reported as saying the blade that started the collapse should not have torn. Reporting is limited to a single short item, and the exact date, turbine capacity, any injuries and the cause of the blade failure have not been reported.
Not established in the available reporting. Investigators are reported to have considered the blade failure inconsistent with the low wind speed at the time, which points to a component condition question rather than extreme weather, but no cause has been confirmed.
- Blade failures can occur well below rated design wind speeds, so low wind conditions do not rule out structural failure.
- A single blade failure can progress rapidly to loss of the whole tower structure.
- Turbines close to public roads or other occupied areas justify review of inspection intervals and criteria as they approach or pass their original design life.
Published 2026-09-09. Written from public reporting. Descriptive, not investigative. See the data accuracy disclaimer.