The structural integrity of blades is critical to the continued operation of a wind turbine. Resonant or modal properties of a mechanical structure are directly influenced by its physical properties. So any change in the physical properties of a structure should cause a change in its modal parameters. In this article, we present test results from a wind turbine blade with different induced cracks. Each result shows that some of the modes of the blade are significantly affected by a crack and that the modal parameters change more significantly with a more severe crack. Using changes in modal parameters to indicate physical damage to turbine blades should be implemented in the on-line continuous monitoring of wind turbines. In such a system, differences between monitored modal parameters and their baseline values could be compared to both absolute and percentage difference warning levels. 4-6 Comparing changes between operating and baseline modal parameters with warning levels will indicate when the blades of a wind turbine have undergone physical damage. The elastic modes of a structure are strongly affected by its physical properties and boundary conditions. Its physical properties are summarized in its mass, stiffness and damping properties, and its boundary conditions are influenced by its geometric shape and physical support. 1,2 In this study, we tested a single wind turbine blade that was subjected to two types of material failures: Cracks along one edge of the blade •� Cracks in the surface of the blade •� The blade was tested in a baseline condition with no cracks and then with various cracks induced in it. The modal parameters of the blade without cracks were compared with those parameters from the blade with a crack. Modal frequencies, damping, and mode shape comparisons are presented.