Plain English Meaning

The fire inside a jet engine goes out, so the engine stops running. Ice shedding into the engine is one cause.

Full Definition

The unintended extinguishing of the flame inside a turbine engine's combustion chamber, causing the engine to stop producing thrust. In icing conditions, it can be triggered when ice accumulated on engine inlet surfaces breaks loose and is ingested, disrupting the airflow and fuel-air mixture needed to sustain combustion.

Context Anchor

Seen in turbine-engine icing discussions, especially when induction icing affects airflow into the engine.

Derivation

Combustor comes from the Latin comburere, meaning 'to up,' and refers to the chamber inside a turbine engine where is burned. is English: the flame goes out. Together, the term names the event of the 's flame being extinguished.