Published January 9, 2020
Popular Mechanics interviewed Javid Bayandor, associate professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering, for an article on why people should not throw coins into airplane engines.
Although aircrafts are designed to handle certain debris, like birds, they are not designed to have coins lodged inside them, says Bayandor. “Even if it’s a tiny item, tossing an object into an operational plane engine—given the sheer speed alone—could cause a drastic event,” he says. “Throwing any kind of debris, especially something like a coin, is foolish and so dangerous. It jeopardizes the aircraft and the people on board.”