Mount Sinabung blows in Indonesia, creating flight chaos
- 6 years ago
NORTH SUMATRA, INDONESIA — Indonesia's Mount Sinabung started spewing ash earlier this week, prompting the country to issue flight warnings.
According to the Guardian, volcanic ash had been sent to heights of 7km. If ash comes into contact with aircraft engine, glass inside it can melt inside the combustion chamber, reports Wired. That can cause the plane's blades to stick together and stall the engine.
Ash particles can also become lodged inside the pitot tubes, a plane's airspeed sensors. If blocked, they may provide pilots with false readings.
According to the Guardian, volcanic ash had been sent to heights of 7km. If ash comes into contact with aircraft engine, glass inside it can melt inside the combustion chamber, reports Wired. That can cause the plane's blades to stick together and stall the engine.
Ash particles can also become lodged inside the pitot tubes, a plane's airspeed sensors. If blocked, they may provide pilots with false readings.