Looking beyond FOD

摘要

For many in aviation, the term Foreign Object Debris (FOD) brings back memories of the 2000 crash of an Air France Concorde in Paris. During takeoff, the aircraft's tires struck a 16 inch titanium strip that had fallen from a previously departing aircraft. Tire fragments penetrated the Concorde's fuel tank, and the escaping fuel was immediately ignited by the aircraft's jet exhausts. The aircraft crashed, killing all on board. Although never published, the total financial loss of the Concorde and its crew and passengers has been estimated as between 400 and 600 million dollars. The titanium strip's value was estimated to be around thirty dollars.