Nothing plain about plane removal

Bridgeview, IL based Lifting Gear Hire and Imperial Crane Services joined forces at the end of last year to remove a Boeing 737-700 jet from a Chicago intersection, after the Southwest Airlines plane skidded off a runway at Midway Airport. Imperial Crane used Lifting Gear Hire's Modulift 50 spreader beam system to move the stranded jetliner.

To move the plane, Imperial set the Modulift beam at 13 feet. The top rigging included 25 feet of 40,000 lb. round slings, doubled. Two 12 foot round slings, each with a 66,000 lb. capacity, were used on the sides. In addition, 50 foot, 90,000 lb. round slings hooked to each landing gear for towing the plane backwards.

Imperial's Ricky Bohne, who supervised the job, said his crews were able to move the airplane back over the curb, through the fence and into the hangar without causing damage to the plane or nearby facilities. The move took about nine hours to complete.