Outage darkens Toledo Express

12/25/2000

A power outage at the Toledo Express Airport Saturday night did not delay flights, but passengers were welcomed to a dark terminal with their luggage brought into the building by hand.

A one-inch water pipe on the third floor of the main terminal in the Federal Aviation Administration office burst about 8:30 p.m., said Mark Fisher, Toledo-Lucas County Port Authority chief of public safety.

Water flowed down to the first floor where it caused shorts in the wiring, causing the outage. Water and the power were restored about 1:30 a.m.

Toledo Edison crews helped Toledo-Lucas County Port Authority personnel determine the cause of the outage and fix the problem. It was reported to the electric company about 9:30 p.m., said Charles Krueger, the utility's area manager.

Emergency generators started at the FAA tower, and runway lights were not affected, Mr. Fisher said. He said the Air National Guard assisted the port authority with auxiliary power and battery-operated lights throughout the terminal.

Mr. Fisher said passengers from six flights had to use portable stairs to enter and exit planes instead of the customary enclosed Jetways. Hand wands and searches took the place of the metal detectors.

He said baggage workers transported luggage from airplanes to the terminal and brought them in by hand because the baggage claim belts were not operational. Mr. Fisher said none of the airlines suffered any major delays because of the power outage.