News

Actions

Plane owners collect belongings, clean-up continues at Danville-Boyle County Airport

poster_416c3359b78442bdadaa8654490232b6 (1).jpg
Posted at 7:45 PM, Dec 13, 2021
and last updated 2021-12-17 19:58:13-05

DANVILLE, Ky. (LEX 18) — Crews are in clean-up mode at the Danville-Boyle County Airport after 13 small planes were destroyed in this weekend's storm.

"It's under there somewhere!" Louis Bourgois said when pointing to a pile of twisted metal. His plane, which he has been building for 22 years, was underneath it all. It was almost ready to fly, but it will never see the skies now.

"That was the left wing right there," he said pointing to what's left of his plane. "It's all balled up beneath the wreckage."

With his passion project destroyed, he took pictures for the insurance company Monday afternoon.

Other plane owners have also been to the airport since Saturday to take photos and collect any personal belongings.

Meanwhile, crews started to clean up all the metal that was tossed across the airport's giant field out front.

"It's a mess," one of the crew members said. "It's bad, definitely."

They piled all of the metal together so it'd be easier to haul off. Next, a company is scheduled to come by on Wednesday to chop up the planes into parts, some of which may be sold.

While many of the plane owners LEX 18 spoke to said this has been a heartbreaking experience, they said they are happy no one got hurt.

One woman said she is praying for those in the hardest-hit parts of the state like Mayfield.

A GoFundMe has been set up to cover expenses for the airport.

WAYS TO DONATE: For a full list of ways to donate/help click here.

Western Kentucky Tornado Relief Fund

Western KY Red Cross Disaster Relief Fundraiser

United Way of Kentucky

Kentucky United Tornado Disaster Relief Telethon

Salvation ArmyGlobal Giving: Midwest US Tornado Relief Fund

Convoy of HopeUK College of Medicine's Kentucky Tornado Relief Fund

Kentucky Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster

Kentucky Baptist Disaster ReliefIslamic Relief USA

Mayfield Graves County Tornado Relief

Other Fundraisers Verified by GoFundMe