Foreign Object Debris

Alone, I stood in the cordoned area looking at the remains of an F-16s left main gear wheel rim. A whirlwind Safety Investigation Board notice two days before placed me in this hangar with a table full of junk; a damaged F-16 sat behind me on jacks. Quietly, I contemplated the pieces, methodically shifting broken metal on a table until I had a deformed, but complete, F-16 main gear rim. Within an hours time, Id arranged the tire bits around the junk rim. Three days ago these were in airworthy condition.

C Lowe

Thursday, January 29, 2015 at 12:00 AM ET

Verified

Most all of the elements required for the activation of HomeSafe are already found on 2019 and 2020 TBM 940 models. Daher/Airborne Films

Key Takeaways:

An F-16 experienced a catastrophic left main tire failure during takeoff, later attributed to a foreign object (likely a screw) that had penetrated and compromised the tire's internal structure.
The incident required exceptional pilot skill to land the severely damaged aircraft, resulting in an onboard fire, over a million dollars in aircraft damage, and significant operational disruption, including the closure of an international airport.
The primary lesson highlights that Foreign Object Debris (FOD) is a broad, underestimated threat, capable of causing unexpected and severe damage beyond typical engine concerns, underscoring the critical need for constant vigilance and proactive FOD prevention in all aviation environments.

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Results from the investigation into this mishap are of interest for two basic reasons. One is how foreign object debris (FOD) can totally ruin your day. Typically, FOD is considered a great danger to aircraft engines-especially turbines-and propellers, but not so much to tires. While both scenarios are to be avoided, a FODd tire can present substantial challenges to the pilot and has resulted in loss of aircraft and lives. The second thing we can find is a better understanding of how tires, rims and brakes can be damaged by FOD, and what can follow when they are.