Volcanologist explains ash hazards for jet aircraft

Volcanic ash can cause jet engines to fail and damage aircraft systems, KVERT head and volcanologist Olga Girina said on 9 October.

Volcanic glass particles can melt in hot engine sections and form deposits on components, a mechanism also described by the International Civil Aviation Organization. Girina also pointed to potential electronics damage and abrasion of aircraft windows by solid particles.

A well-known incident involved KLM Flight 867 on 15 December 1989. The Boeing 747, carrying 231 passengers, entered an ash cloud from Redoubt Volcano while approaching Anchorage, Alaska. All four engines lost thrust.

According to the US Geological Survey, the aircraft descended without engine power for more than four minutes. The crew restored power and landed safely. The damaged engines had to be replaced. Girina said no aviation incidents caused by volcanic ash had been recorded in Kamchatka.