Victim Identified in Blast at Rocket Fuel Plant
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.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
