Directional drill pierces through parked car - GIF

[hemmjo]

I am thinking this video is real.

I have had some fun conversations with Horizontal Directional Drillers while on job sites. I have heard a few stories where the transmitting device was lost from the tip of the drill string. Apparently it happens more than you would want since they often carry a spare. At $15,000 - $20,000 each would would not want to lose very many!!!!!!

It is difficult to imagine how the video situation happened, but try to imagine the transmitter "falling out" of the drill head. The locator would be locked in onto the now stationary transmitter. The drill string would then continue with with no guidance. It could go anywhere.

The most difficult thing for me to grasp is how the machine operator could continue to add numerous 10' sections of drill pipe while the locator never moves? Someone messed up big time.

There are different types of heads for HDD depending on the substrates being encountered.

For hard rock

For softrock

For dirt

For Ford Explorers the the suggested technique is to use a rock head to grind through the plastic parts.