Foreign Object Debris (FOD) is any substance, debris, or article alien to a vehicle or system that could potentially cause damage. Foreign Object Damage is the harm that results — from minor repairs to catastrophic failures.
FOD includes loose hardware, tools, pavement fragments, wildlife, rocks, catering supplies, and virtually anything that can be ingested into an engine or interfere with flight controls. It’s found everywhere in the aviation environment: manufacturing plants, terminal gates, cargo aprons, taxiways, and runways.
The problem came into sharp focus with the jet engine. A single bolt on a runway can destroy a turbine worth millions. Industry estimates put the annual cost of FOD to the global aerospace industry at $4 billion — most of it spent repairing engine damage from ingested debris.
The good news: FOD is preventable. Effective prevention programs combining regular inspections, debris sweeping, awareness training, and proper tool control can dramatically reduce FOD incidents and the damage they cause.
For a comprehensive guide to FOD prevention — including equipment, best practices, and program development — visit The FOD Control Corporation.
Browse our FOD prevention resources or explore the latest FOD incident reports from around the world.