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Eric
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I was watching a CART Indy Car race years ago, when something similar happened. The race leader came into the pits near the end of the race, for some fuel. One of the pit crew pulled a sheet of tear away film from the driver’s helmet faceplate and tossed it over his shoulder. The camera filming the stop was perfectly positioned to see the tear away fly straight to the turbo inlet on the side of the engine cowling and get ingested. The car immediately died and he was out of the race. One-in-a-million shot that probably cost them millions in earnings, plus the trashed turbo. 

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Sounds like only the boost dropped to zero due to the turbine wheel being jammed. Engine and drum still spinning freely, chances are the motor just burned off whatever pieces of cotton made it into the chambers. Rebuilding a turbo isn't that bad. I'd still stick a scope into the spark plug holes and make sure the walls / valves are in order and not totally full with gunk.

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That turbo was probably spinning at close to 200,000rpm when it ate that towel. I imagine the compressor wheel went off like a grenade. Most of the debris probably didn't make it past the intercooler though. I bet the whole turbo assembly was toast.

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10 minutes ago, crockett said:

While searching for the sources of that video, I ran into this lol

PS: he survived that! His helmet and jacket jammed the turbine.

 

GrippingUnlinedIndianrhinoceros-size_res

I remember seeing that on one of those amazing 'Caught on Video' shows that were so popular for a while. That d-bag Sheriff Bunnell hosted & narrated most of them. Anyway, that would have been quite a ride.

I always loved the A-6 Intruder. That thing was a bomb truck. There was a solid aluminum beam that ran through the fuselage and into both wings to the joints where the wings folded. That beam supported the wings and all the hardpoints were mounted to it. It was an enormously strong aircraft. It wasn't fast or sexy, but it carried a huge load of ordnance.

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2 hours ago, Eric said:

I remember seeing that on one of those amazing 'Caught on Video' shows that were so popular for a while. That d-bag Sheriff Bunnell hosted & narrated most of them. Anyway, that would have been quite a ride.

I always loved the A-6 Intruder. That thing was a bomb truck. There was a solid aluminum beam that ran through the fuselage and into both wings to the joints where the wings folded. That beam supported the wings and all the hardpoints were mounted to it. It was an enormously strong aircraft. It wasn't fast or sexy, but it carried a huge load of ordnance.

Great, now I have this desire to watch Caught on Video lol Throw in some old cops and forensic files episodes.

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