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Wind (onshore)United StatesEIR-1128

Wind turbine blade breaks and dangles at Michigan wind farm

June 2017Published 20 Sept 2026Responsible editor: Chief Editor

MinorMechanical
Estimated damageEstimated by the register's adjusterHow? Know the real figure?
Figure hidden: shown to subscribersMedium confidence
turbine out of service for about •• daysShown in the record →Full estimate
From the recordRoot cause hiddenFailed part hidden
Where
Tuscola Bay wind farm, Blumfield Township, Saginaw County, Michigan
Operator
NextEra Energy Resources
What
160-foot blade broke and dangled from turbine
Injuries
None reported
Cause
Isolated equipment issue, not weather-related

Companies named in the reporting of this entry (being named is not a finding of fault): NextEra Energy

What happened

A 160-foot wind turbine blade broke at the Tuscola Bay wind farm in Blumfield Township, Saginaw County, Michigan, leaving it dangling above a field. Workers were alerted to the problem when the turbine went offline on the Monday. No injuries were reported. A spokesman for NextEra Energy Resources said investigators believed the break was an isolated equipment issue and was not weather-related, adding that such breaks are rare. The turbine is one of 75 at the site. Plans called for the damaged blade to be taken down and replaced.

Contributing factors

The company stated that the cause was believed to be an isolated equipment issue and not related to weather conditions. No formal investigation report is cited in the source.

Lessons learned

  1. Blade breaks on onshore turbines can occur from equipment faults alone, so operators should inspect blades on schedule even in calm weather.
  2. An automatic offline alarm can be the first sign of blade damage, so response procedures must trigger a site inspection.
  3. A pre-planned method to remove and replace a damaged blade reduces risk while the cause is checked.

More lessons on weather and external hazards, structural integrity and turbines, from every incident on the register.

Not yet known

  • Exact cause of the blade break
  • Turbine model and age
  • Length of downtime
  • Cost of blade replacement

This entry is updated when these are reported. Get an alert for the next one like it.

Source

wlns.com

Site pages: Tuscola Bay Wind, Tuscola Wind II LLC (status, dates and other incidents)

Published 2026-09-20. Written from public reporting. Descriptive, not investigative. See the data accuracy disclaimer.

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Chart to reuse with this story: Wind (onshore) incidents in the United States, by year, free with a credit (PNG).

Wind (onshore) incidents in the United States: 104 entries, with a free alert for the next one.

Wind turbine fires: the counts, the latest entries and a free alert for the next one. Also: wind turbine blade failures.

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