The question of whether a tornado can lift an airplane involves a direct contest between the immense power of extreme atmospheric forces and the structural mass of the aircraft. The sheer destructive energy of a strong tornado means that even if an airplane is too heavy to be fully picked up, the forces involved are more than sufficient to tear it apart.
The Physics of Extreme Wind Force vs. Aircraft Mass
An aircraft on the ground is held down by its weight, a force known as inertia, which resists changes to its state of rest. For a tornado to “pick up” a plane, the upward force generated by the wind must exceed the plane’s total mass. This upward force is a combination of aerodynamic lift, where air moving rapidly over the wing creates a pressure differential, and vertical drag from the updraft within the funnel.
Tornado intensity is categorized using the Enhanced Fujita (EF) Scale. Only the most powerful tornadoes, classified as EF4 or EF5, generate the speeds necessary to overcome the mass of anything larger than a small car. An EF4 tornado features wind gusts estimated between 166 and 200 miles per hour, while an EF5 exceeds 200 miles per hour. These extreme wind speeds do not merely push objects; they create immense aerodynamic forces.
The wings of an aircraft are designed to convert forward motion into lift, but when subjected to tornado-force winds, they become massive surfaces for the wind to act upon. The chaotic, rotational nature of the vortex subjects the airframe to simultaneous forces of powerful horizontal shear, vertical updrafts, and a pressure drop at the core. These combined stresses can exceed the structural limits of the airframe long before the entire mass is lofted high into the atmosphere.
Varying Vulnerability Based on Aircraft Size
The sheer difference in weight between aircraft types is the most important factor in determining vulnerability to a tornado. Light aircraft, such as small propeller planes used for general aviation, are highly susceptible to being lifted and destroyed by even moderate tornadoes. A common four-seater plane, like a Cessna 172, has an empty weight of around 1,600 to 1,700 pounds. An EF2 tornado is often strong enough to flip or carry these aircraft short distances.
Medium-sized commercial aircraft, such as the Boeing 737 or Airbus A320, present a much greater challenge due to their significantly larger mass. While a violent EF5 tornado would likely cause catastrophic structural failure, tearing off wings and engines, the sheer weight makes the entire fuselage difficult to be fully lofted and carried great distances.
Large, heavy commercial airliners, like the Boeing 747, are simply too massive to be picked up and tossed into the sky by any known tornado. The maximum takeoff weight of the largest variants of the 747 approaches 975,000 pounds. Even if an EF5 tornado directly struck a stationary jumbo jet, the result would be the complete dismantling of the airframe, with pieces scattered widely, rather than the entire aircraft being carried intact. The forces would overwhelm the airframe’s integrity, causing it to break apart at the weakest stress points.
Documented Encounters and Ground Operations Risk
While the theoretical “pickup” of a large jet is unlikely, the real-world danger lies in the documented risk to aircraft that are on the ground at airports. Tornadoes hitting airport facilities have repeatedly demonstrated their capacity to inflict massive damage on stationary aircraft. A 2024 tornado at Omaha’s Eppley Airfield, for example, destroyed multiple hangars and damaged over 30 general aviation aircraft, including a Cirrus Vision Jet and several Cessna Citations.
The most common damage occurs when the tornado rips aircraft from their tie-downs, flips them over, or causes a hangar to collapse onto them. Past incidents have confirmed the vulnerability of unshielded assets, with tornadoes destroying dozens of aircraft and hangars at once. These incidents show that the threat is not about mid-air confrontation but about ground-level destruction.
Direct encounters with the core of a tornado in flight are exceedingly rare. When aircraft do fly near severe weather, the primary hazards are extreme wind shear and microbursts, which are sudden, powerful downdrafts. The aviation system prioritizes avoidance, ensuring that the risk of a commercial aircraft flying into a tornado funnel is virtually non-existent.