Volcano Ash Cloud's Jet Damage: NATO F-16 Fighter Jets Suffer Engine Damage

BRUSSELS — A senior Western diplomat says several NATO F-16 fighters suffered engine damage after flying through the volcanic ash cloud covering large parts of Europe.

The official declined to provide more details on the military flights, except to say that glasslike deposits were found inside the planes' engines after they patroled over European airspace.

Last week, two Finnish Air Force F-18 fighter-bombers suffered similar damage while flying through the ash plume that has paralyzed air traffic over much of Europe. Both landed safely, but their jet engines will require expensive overhauls.

Volcanic ash tends to stick to a jet engine's interior parts, such as the turbines, where it melts to form a glassy coating. This restricts air flow and heats up the engine, leading to engine failure.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/04/19/volcano-ash-clouds-jet-da_n_542478.html

This does not bode well.

opened need to study the flight of the Space Shuttle Columbia.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space_Shuttle_Columbia_disaster

about their loss of profits this morning.