Photographer Zdenek Cerny Captured Rare Incident With B-52 Engine Anomaly.
Prolific aviation photographer Zdenek Cerny captured a remarkable image of sparks and smoke emitting from the engine of a B-52.
The photo, which has been shared in groups on Facebook and in aviation photography forums, shows a shower of sparks emitting from the inboard engine nacelle closest to the fuselage.
The remarkable photo was taken as the B-52H Stratofortress bomber 61-0029 belonging to the 2nd Bomb Wing from Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana, departed from Ostrava after attending the NATO Days 2017, on Sept. 18, 2017.
It’s possible the engine may be experiencing a malfunction on its own, or that it ingested a foreign object, such as a bird, during what appears to be a low demonstration pass. “FOD” or Foreign Object Damage is a constant threat to low flying aircraft.
Whatever the reason thaat caused the engine to emit sparks, the timing of this photo is truly miraculous, something that is seen only once in a few years.