Want to see what ash does to a jet engine?

Analysis by Michael Reilly | Sun Apr 18, 2010 11:57 PM ET
We've heard a lot of talk in the wake of Iceland's misbehaving volcano explaining why volcanic ash clouds are bad for airplanes: they can sandblast windows, the leading edges of wings, and wreak havoc with a jet engine.

These volcanic antics have disrupted air travel worldwide. But for the hundreds of thousands of people stranded in airports across northern Europe who have been staring up at clear blue skies for the last several days, it must be a bitter pill to swallow. How can these giant metal birds that whisk us around the world at nearly the speed of sound be humbled by a little dust??

Well, the time for talk is over: and the time for gruesome, sobering pictures of an engine shredded by volcanic ash is at hand. In 2000, a DC-8 owned by NASA took off from Edwards Air Force Base in California on a flight to Sweden. Unbeknownst to pilot and crew, they flew straight through a cloud of ash drifting north of Iceland (PDF).

The plane landed without incident, but when mechanics took a look inside the engines, here's what they saw:

(see link, pics won't post here)

http://news.discovery.com/earth/volcanic-ash-gives-jet-engine-a-turbocharge.html

http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/2010/04/16/340727/pictures-finnish-f-18-engine-check-reveals-effects-of-volcanic.html

turns into a sticky layer of obsidian that can flow into the moving parts and totally gum them up. The engine flames out. Such engines have been restarted during a dizzying drop from cruising levels, the restart shattering the quickly cooled obsidian, but it's nothing that can be counted upon and the dizzying descent generally means the passengers won't be repeat customers.

There was an interesting argument on TV here in Germany last night, with the head of Lufthansa arguing that
all flights should be allowed to depart immediately, and the Conservative Party (CSU) transportation minister
saying that economic interests would not be allowed to take precedence over passenger safety, no matter what
economic interests might be affected. Test flights here, along with the subsequent examination of the plane
engines, have shown no damage, but no test flights have yet been flown through the cloud of ash all the way
to North America and back.

So far, German air space has been reopened to commercial air traffic, but the north Atlantic corridor so far
has not. I'm still twiddling my thumbs here.........

sooner than later! It must be difficult to be stranded unexpectedly and un-knowing of when you'll be able to get home.

My wife is German, and she lives here year round. I was only going home for work, which makes it all the more aggravating
since I have to be back here Monday morning no matter what.

Maybe later. ;-)

non-Icelandic volcanoes because of the "glass-like" particles created due to the water.

I dunno exactly, I'm 'membering sorta-kinda from all the stuff I read in general and am in too much of hurry to go look it up right now.

If this is my last post ever, you'll know why............