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The plaintiff saw David Renner die while she was sitting aboard the airplane. SAN ANTONIO — An airplane passenger who witnessed a ground crew worker as he was fatally ingested into a jet engine is suing the company that employed him after she experienced post-traumatic stress over the incident. David Renner died June 23 at the San Antonio International Airport. His death was ruled a suicide. The plaintiff in the lawsuit had boarded Delta Airlines Flight 1111 and was seated on the same side of the plane as the jet engine where Renner's death took place. She was looking out...

If you needed any more proof that you can make absolutely anything with a 3D printer, check out this video from GE. To showcase the versatility of 3D printing as a manufacturing process, a team of engineers at GE recently built a fully-functional, backpack-sized jet engine made entirely from 3D-printed parts. And it’s not just for show either — the team actually fired the engine up and took it up to 33,000 RPMs to demonstrate how robust the parts are. Now, obviously, since this is a jet turbine we’re talking about here, it wasn’t printed in ABS with the latest...

The US Air Force on Wednesday test launched a hypersonic cruise missile, with the vehicle accelerating to Mach 6 before splashing down in the Pacific Ocean, officials said. The Air Force said the test flight of the X-15A Waverider lasted more than 200 seconds, the longest ever hypersonic flight powered by scramjet propulsion. The previous record was 12 seconds in a NASA X-43 vehicle. "We are ecstatic to have accomplished most of our test points on the X-51A's very first hypersonic mission," Charlie Brink, program manager with the Air Force Research Laboratory at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio. "We...

Air forces across Europe struggled to cope as a volcanic ash cloud that has also halted most commercial services swept across the continent from Iceland, officials said Saturday. The fine volcanic dust can clog jet engines, causing them to flame out in some cases, or leaving them irreparably damaged. "We have redeployed units to the south of France due to the closure of air space, to be able to ensure transport missions, patrols and policing of the skies", Major Frederic Solano told AFP. Aircraft assigned to permanent standby had been based at Dijon and Tours in the centre, Orange in...

Two missing US-made fighter jet engines, worth 29 million dollars and stolen from a Malaysian military airbase, have been traced to Argentina, police said Thursday. Police chief Musa Hasan said officers were checking with their counterparts in Buenos Aires to confirm if the missing engines are still in the country. "The stolen engines have been taken to Argentina," the police chief told AFP. "We have to check if the engines are still in that country." Musa told the Star newspaper that several top airforce officers, including generals, are expected to be questioned in connection with the theft. Four people, including...

Airplane Mechanic Sucked Into Jet Engine, Killed at El Paso Airport Monday, January 16, 2006 EL PASO, Texas — An airplane mechanic was killed Monday morning after he was sucked into a jet's engine while passengers were boarding from the tarmac, officials said. "A mechanic walked in front of the engine and was pulled into the engine," National Transportation Safety Board spokeswoman Lauren Peduzzi said. She said she didn't know if any passengers saw the accident as they boarded Continental Airlines flight 1515 to Houston. A Federal Aviation Administration spokesman said the worker was sucked into the right engine of...

A Suffolk man has created the world's fastest shopping trolley - by fitting a jet engine. Andy Tyler, 35, adapted the trolley which he fished out of a river, reports the Daily Mirror. The father-of-two can travel at more than 50mph in the machine but it's so noisy that it hurts his ears. The engine is powered by gas and liquid fuel and explodes 40 times a second to propel the trolley. Andy built his own engine from a discarded stainless steel restaurant worktop. He attached the gas supply, liquid fuel and engine and added sturdier wheels, an accelerator, brake...

Giuseppe Cannella had a big surprise for his mother-in-law when he put a jet engine on the back of her wheelchair. Mr Cannella says the chair can now do top speeds of more than 60mph and has proved the star of a model plane championship during the Bank Holiday. A model plane enthusiast himself, Mr Cannella has been putting on shows at Barkston Heath near Grantham, Lincs. "It is just the wheelchair with the engine bolted on the back and steering on the front," he said. Holiday surprise "Originally it was a gimmick. I had a jet engine and I...

What follows is my story about a shed, a warm beer and a home made jet engine. It is being presented for entertainment purposes only and no-one should attempt to emulate what I have done here. The risks should be obvious but it is worth pointing out that beer is a very dangerous substance when used without due care. Please be careful!