Compliments of "The
Combat Edge" Magazine
By SMSgt Jeffery B. England, Seymour
Johnson AFB, N.C.
Most of us are familiar with
the term Foreign Object Debris/Damage or FOD. Foreign objects and debris
(i.e., rocks, nails, screws, fasteners, tools, rivets, and wire) can find
their way into the strangest places and do considerable damage. Those of
us who work on or near the flightline are thoroughly aware of FOD and its
associated hazards, but a reminder every now and then never hurts. Damage
to aircraft caused by FOD ingestion can be very expensive. We must do all
we can to prevent and control FOD.
FOD
can have devastating effects on a jet engine because the intakes operate
like giant vacuum cleaners, sucking up anything and everything in their
path. Some aircraft engine intakes are very close to the ground. This
includes the French KC-135 tankers, F/A-18 Hornets, and Mirage 2000Ds
operating at Manas International Airport in Kyrgyzstan. The F-16 Fighting
Falcon is also extremely susceptible to FOD because of its powerful
engine, large intake, and proximity to the ground. Bits of rock, sand,
grass, metal, and even ice and snow ingested into a jet engine can cause
significant damage to the compressor blades and other internal parts. This
translates into a lot of money to repair or replace a FOD-damaged engine.
FOD is a real threat
wherever planes take to the air, but it is especially prevalent at our
deployed locations. Runway and taxiway construction in foreign locations
is not always up to the same standard as it is in the United States.
Maintenance of these surfaces may not receive regular attention from civil
engineering like they normally do at military installations stateside.
Consequently, FOD can be found on the parking aprons, taxiways, and
runways of almost every airport and airbase in the world.
The prevention and control
of FOD is key to the preservation of our aircraft and the safety of those
personnel working in, on, and around aircraft. This is even more true at a
bare base or joint-use civilian airfield typically used for contingency
operations. While deployed, we need to adopt the same standard FOD
operating procedures that we use at home.
This starts with awareness
of its presence on the parking ramp, taxiways, runways, and even the roads
that lead into and out of these areas. Good housekeeping on the parking
ramp will go a long way in preventing hardware, stones, rocks, rubbish,
and clothing from finding its way into a jet engine. This is the
responsibility of every aircrew member, mechanic, technician, and driver
who works on the flightline.
If you see FOD, pick it up
and dispose of it properly. That means place it in a sealable container
and dispose of it far away from the flightline so it can't find its way
back lodged in the tires of someone's vehicle. Make FOD containers (cans,
buckets, pouches, or bags) available in every flightline vehicle and in
every flightline work area. Attach FOD containers to toolboxes and ground
equipment. This is especially important at deployed locations because of
the greater amounts of FOD. Don't forget to empty the FOD containers
daily.
When you drive a vehicle,
inspect your tires before driving onto the flightline or taxiway. If you
don't conduct thorough vehicle FOD checks, your tires can pick up rocks
and deposit them in the flightline area. Make every attempt to stay on
paved surfaces. Avoid driving on the dirt or grass whenever possible. If
you must depart the pavement to avoid a greater risk (i.e., an airplane
taxiing straight at you), check your tires for FOD once you return to the
pavement and dispose of it properly and immediately. These simple FOD-prevention
measures can avoid millions of dollars and hundreds of man-hours we
currently spend to repair or replace the damage.
The key to FOD prevention
and control is constant vigilance and immediate action to remove the
hazards from the area. The mission -- especially at deployed locations --
depends on assets being fully mission capable. That can only happen when
everyone does their part to prevent FOD.
