News | 09/23/2015
According to the findings of the Liebherr crane experts sent to Saudi Arabia the LR 11350 was erected at the time of the accident with a boom length of approximately 190m, parked outside of the Grand Mosque and put out of operation. Previously it had sporadically been used for assembly works. In the late afternoon of 11 September 2015, during a strong thunderstorm and sandstorm with measured wind speeds of 80km/h (according to the CNN Weather Service) and 105km/h (wind recording of a Liebherr Tower Crane near the place of accident), heavy rain falls and a sudden drop in temperature by 20⁰C, the crawler crane was caught by the wind and tilted over the last support rollers of its crawler tracks.
The operating instructions of the LR 11350 and the associated "Wind Speed Charts" show that the crawler crane could not withstand such a high wind load and that the boom should have been lowered to the ground preventatively to avoid the tilting of the crawler crane.
In the meantime Liebherr has taken this very tragic accident in Mecca as reason to point out again to the operators of comparable Liebherr cranes worldwide the influences that wind has on cranes and to the unconditional compliance with the appropriate regulations mentioned in the operating instructions.
You might also be interested in
10/16/2026
Press releases
A historic suspension railway carriage is once again gliding through Wuppertal: using a Liebherr LTM 1450-8.1 mobile crane, Franz Bracht Kran-Vermietung GmbH lifted carriage 76, weighing around seven tonnes, into Wuppertal Central Station. Given the limited space available, precise operational planning and modern mobile crane technology were crucial.
10/15/2026
Press releases
Liebherr overcomes access restrictions to lift a Derrick crane onto a Paris high-rise roof
A Liebherr Derrick crane has been transported piece by piece onto the roof of the Opus 12 tower in Paris La Défense, using a goods lift and a helicopter. Because the heaviest and largest components could not reach the site and the roof could not bear the load of a standard crane, Liebherr Tower Crane Solutions, Liebherr France (LDF) and the client Legendre developed this rooftop lifting solution together.
10/15/2026
Press releases
For the filming of a new ARD/WDR series in Germany’s Ruhr region, the production team at Sally Forth Cinema used Liebherr’s Liduro Power Port (LPO 100) mobile energy storage system for the first time. Over a period of 33 filming days, the battery storage system ensured a reliable power supply for the entire base camp. The quiet and locally emission-free energy supply supported the implementation of modern green production concepts and contributed to smooth filming operations.