Discovery reports that volcanic ash from Iceland’s Hekla Volcano “shredded” the jet engine of a DC-8 owned by NASA that took off from Edwards Air Force Base. Fortunately, the plane landed safely. Video after the break. Click here for first picture in gallery.
The fan blades of the engine are gouged (top), the cooling fins plugged with muck (middle), and insides lined with what is basically remelted, glassy lava (bottom, rind on inside of hollow portion). Analysis of data from the engine during flight confirmed that the engine was indeed above the 1832F (1000C) required to melt silicate rock.
[via Discovery]