Tacoma Narrows Bridge collapse, Washington, USA, 1940
Tacoma Narrows Bridge collapse on 7 November 1940. This road suspension bridge spanned 1810 metres across the Tacoma Narrows strait in Puget Sound, Washington, USA. It opened on 1 July 1940, but collapsed just four month later due to oscillations caused by aeroelastic flutter in 67 kilometres-per-hour gale-force winds. The oscillations produced waves several metres in height, increasing and undulating along the bridge until the eventual collapse. There were no casualties except a dog trapped in a car stranded on the bridge. A rescue was attempted by US engineer Frederick Bert Farquharson but the frightened animal would not leave the car.