Victim Identified in Blast at Rocket Fuel Plant
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A man killed in an explosion at a rocket fuel plant was identified Saturday as a 47-year-old San Leandro man.
James Franklin Spotts died in an explosion while performing upgrades at the Pratt & Whitney Space Propulsion facility Friday, according to the Santa Clara County coroner’s office.
Spotts was employed by Jenson Mechanical Inc., based in nearby Union City. A written statement issued by the company said the explosion was still under investigation and no other details were available.
Pratt & Whitney Space Propulsion is owned by the Connecticut-based United Technologies Corp.
In August an explosion at the plant destroyed a three-story building and sparked a 20-acre grass fire but caused no injuries.
The San Jose Pratt & Whitney branch employs about 700 people and makes solid rocket motors for missiles, shuttles and communications satellites.
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