[alexander_busek]

contraction? I thought that length theoretically increased as an object approached light? Just like matter falling into a black hole is supposed to spaghettify.

That is a purely mechanical and unrelated effect you are describing there - and one which the observer falling into the black hole would himself observe - long before he achieved relativistic velocities. Actually, tidal forces (or more accurately: differential gravitational forces) would tend to form whatever object falls into a black hole into a conical shape.

Regards,

[12th_Monkey]

To an observer watching something falling into a black hole would see it spaghettify...I forgot that. thanks for the correction