Aircraft Maintenance Services and Private Airports Work to Reduce the Risks of Foreign Object amage

As aviation specialists know, damage caused by Foreign Object Debris (FOD) is one of the industries most costly issues, with The Boeing Company estimating annual aircraft maintenance, delays and repairs at $4 billion a year.FOD can generally be defined as any object which does not belong to an aircraft that can cause damage to the aircraft, injury to crew and passengers or damage to airport facilities. They most commonly take the form of:

Rocks, sand and pebbles.

Nuts, bolts and loose hardware.

Garbage, such as soda cans and food wrappers.

Material from nearby construction sites.

Small objects such as luggage tags, pens, coins, etc.

Birds and other wildlife.

The most common types of damage caused by FOD include:

Punctures and damage to tires in aircraft and airport vehicles.

Damage to engines, engine inlets and fan blades as they get sucked into aircraft.

Injuries to airport personnel and passengers from FOD blown up into the air.

Damage to delicate equipment if they become trapped inside the housing.

Mechanical freezing due to objects becoming lodged next to levers, etc.

Due to the fact that any one of these issues is dangerous in itself and that they can lead to far worse tragedies, as illustrated by the crash of Air France flight 4590 where the aircraft hit titanium debris and burst a tire, responsible airports take extensive measures to ensure the removal of FOD.

These measures may differ from airport to airport, but generally include a four-step approach:

Training staff on the importance of identifying and properly removing/managing FOD.

Regular inspections of areas which can be a source of FOD or where they are likely to collect. This includes monitoring construction sites, aircraft maintenance areas, hangars, etc.

Clearing away FOD safely and efficiently and monitoring teams assigned to removing FOD.

Monmouth Jet Center offers industry-leading services

At Monmouth Jet Center, we prioritize the safety of the passengers, crews and aircraft which utilize our facility. In addition to applying an industry-leading FOD damage prevention policy, we have a team of dedicated on-site aircraft mechanics available to assist you with general maintenance, repairs and more at your convenience. We also offer our clients high quality, competitively priced rates, fuel and hangar space.

For more information about Monmouth Jet Center in New Jersey, please contact us or visit our website at monmouthjetcenter.com today.