Fight Against FOD Never Ends

Foreign object damage can often become the hidden killer for pilots.

Richard Scarbrough

Monday, September 16, 2024 at 08:57 AM ET

Verified

Edited By:

Kimberly Johnson

433rd Airlift Wing members at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland perform an FOD walk to clean foreign objects and debris from the flightline. [U.S. Air Force/Staff Sergeant Lauren Snyder]

Key Takeaways:

Foreign Object Damage (FOD) is a serious and costly issue in aviation, encompassing any misplaced object that can harm aircraft or personnel, such as a flashlight causing $4 million in F-35 engine damage. It costs the U.S. aviation industry $474 million and the global industry $1.26 billion annually.
FOD can lead to catastrophic outcomes, ranging from significant property damage and operational disruptions to fatal accidents, as evidenced by incidents like the Air France Concorde crash, the Space Shuttle Columbia disaster, and numerous engine failures due to ingested debris.
Preventing FOD requires a multi-faceted approach, including identifying potential sources, establishing robust awareness and maintenance programs, strict tool control, proactive inspections ("clean-as-you-go"), and a collective responsibility from all aviation personnel.

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“I believe I just ingested a flashlight.”

That statement is precisely what one does not wish to hear when test-running an aircraft following a maintenance event. The situation worsens when the aircraft is a $109 million F-35A Lightning II fighter. In January, Stars and Stripes reported that on March 15, 2023, “a hand-held flashlight left inside an F-35 engine by maintainers at Luke Air Force Base last year caused $4 million in damage.” It seems that after using a flashlight to inspect the poorly lit intake of the F-35, the maintainer failed to clear the tool before test-running the engine.