Fallen Cranes & Other Troubled Machinery

"QUANTUM SHOT" #367
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A Fresh Crop of Fallen Cranes

They just can't keep standing straight, it seems, no matter what technology we come up with. They still get blown this way and that by the wind, careless blunders and sheer negligence of operators.

Some accidents, though, seem to be caused by the unforeseen circumstances, such as a sudden overload, or an accumulated metal fatigue. A dedicated website also exists to document any crane mishaps, year-by-year.

We'll start with an accident sent us by Elve from Holland:
A mobile crane (400 ton) was hired to take out a sunken dredge-boat out of a pond, but during the job it fell into the water itself.
So then they needed something really big (750 ton crane) to get it out:

Check out the size of that rescuing crane crawler:

(image credit: bouwmachineforum.nl)

The spirit is willing, the arm is weak:

Any place's a "good" place for a good fall

The following is a compilation of fallen crane occasions, plainly illustrating the wisdom of not standing underneath a crane load under any circumstances:

(image credit: offroad.no)

These cranes could not stay on the road, or on the tracks:

(images credit: craneconsultants)

This one happened in South Africa in 2005; it sheared off part of the tower, too -

(images credit: Jan Buitendach)

Blown by the wind? -

This one is known to have been caused by the wind -
This gantry crane was felled by a powerful storm in the Port of Pusan, Korea.

(image credit: Gordon Lowe)

Another crane fallen because of the strong wind:
(see the full series of pictures here)

(images credit: c25land)

"The Mercedes Massacre" in Berlin

Check out these heart-breaking pictures of a bunch of luxury Mercedes cars, which met their untimely demise at the "hand" of a fallen crane in Berlin. One car seems to be left untouched, but the rest quickly ascended to their Mercedes heaven (which does not allow cranes inside "pearly gates")

(images credit: Stefan Le Breton)

Falling once... Falling Twice! -

"It has been reported that this is the second crane this crane company tipped over in less then a month. The other crane fell on a shopping mall. Lucky no one was hurt in both tip-overs."

(image credit: craneconsultants)

All tangled up:

This yacht proved to be a bit too heavy:

More problems at seaports:
Port Anzali, Iran -

Two cranes try to lift a tower. Both fail:

(images credit: craneconsultants)

To stay out of trouble, get a bigger rig!

(images credit: craneconsultants)

Heavy Machinery in Trouble

Nothing wrong here, this is a normal procedure, business as usual:

Another "business as usual" situation that requires special care:

Trouble comes... and stays:

(images credit: offroad.no)

(image credit: wreckedexotics)

Tractors at Risk

(images credit: Jeeps)

Sizable Tracks

These monstrous iron feet belong to Marion 6360 model, aka "The Captain"

(image credit: bouwmachineforum.nl)

(image credit: stripmine.org)

Dangerous Job

Finally, perhaps most dangerous location for cranes -

Place: World's Most Dangerous Road in Bolivia.
Job: To fish out cars and accidents victims.
Challenge: Keep your crane and yourself from falling 800 meters down.