Officials with Mid-American Energy are trying to figure out why a blade from a wind turbine broke off and landed in a rural Adair County farm field. KCCI in Des Moines reports the incident happened sometime Thursday or Friday, when nearby farmers discovered the 177-foot long, 18,000 pound blade partially crumpled-up in a field. The land is farmed, but not owned, by Adair County farmer Curt Beane.

MidAmerican Energy spokesman Geoff Greenwood told KCCI that wind turbine blade failures are a rare occurrence. Greenwood said MidAmerican crews will work to find a cause of the wing failure. The last two blade failures the company investigated, he said, were caused by lightning, but he didn’t know Friday, why this particular blade failed near the hub of the turbine.

An Adair County farmer told KCCI Friday that they will ask the Iowa Utilities Board to investigate wind turbines to make sure they are safe.