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EasyJet & Duct Tape A Nerve-Wracking Combination, As Engineer Tapes Up Engine

By Anne Sewell
Published on: 20:42 PST, May 30, 2015

We’ve all heard the jokes about the two major tools in our lives, WD-40 and a certain kind of tape, but one passenger was totally shocked to see an engineer in an uneasy combination of easyJet and duct tape. He was caught in action Friday just before take-off, taping up the engine with good old reliable duct tape.

If it doesn’t move and it should, use WD-40. If it moves and shouldn’t, use duct tape. These two tools in the hands of someone not very practical are well known and documented. But when it comes to an engine belonging to easyJet and duct tape, this is a whole different scary kind of scenario.

A horrified passenger on an easyJet plane snapped images of an airport engineer sticking the duct tape on a join in the turbine casing of the plane’s engine mere moments before take off. The images combining easyJet and duct tape have gone viral on social media with tens of thousands of people seeing, sharing, and commenting on them.

It was Adam Wood who initially posted an image to Twitter with a reference to the Final Destination horror films.

However, according to the Daily Mail, this was not your plain old ordinary duct tape, and we shouldn’t really worry. They reckon that the silvery colored tape is actually something known as “speed tape,” which is reportedly widely used in the aviation industry for quick repairs to avoid delaying flights.

Presumably, if the wheels squeak, do they use WD-40? EasyJet and duct tape in combination with WD-40 would be a terrifying indeed.

While it does look similar to the duct tape used in home DIY jobs, this particular tape has an adhesive strong enough to stay stuck on an airplane fuselage or wing even when flying at high speeds, hence the name “speed tape.”

According to the Mirror, the airline quickly responded to Adam’s tweet about easyJet and duct tape in an effort to reassure him, to which Adam responded humorously.

“Please be reassured that the duct tape is in place as a result of some cosmetic work that is required to the aircraft paintwork…”

MailOnline Travel reported that a safety expert from the Civil Aviation Authority said, “The image appears to show aluminum tape being applied to the aircraft.

“This tape is used as part of work to make minor repairs and is very common across the aviation sector and has been for many years now.”

While it is unknown at which airport the shot was taken, Adam is apparently rather impressed with his online fame and posted on Facebook, “My face and name is currently in 25 online news and magazines around the world ?#?celeb?.”

Mind you, the Inquisitr has reported in the past about terrifying experiences on easyJet, including the story of the guy who smuggled a snake onto a plane.

[Image: Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic Jonathan]

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