A bridge's designer ignored wind load, and it collapsed under his own train
Engineer Thomas Bouch's Tay Bridge opened in 1878 to acclaim and earned him a knighthood. Thirteen months later, in a gale on 28 December 1879, a central section collapsed as a train crossed it, killing everyone aboard, around 59 people. The inquiry found Bouch had failed to properly account for wind pressure on the structure, ruining his reputation within weeks.