Preventing FOD on the flightline Published Sept. 30, 2011 By Jim Shuster 377th Maintenance Squadron Kirtland Air Force Base -- If a rock bouncing out of a gravel truck can crack a windshield, imagine what that same rock can do to a jet's engine or a plane's propeller. With the potential to cause more than $1 million in damage, such debris can cause foreign object damage. On a weekly basis, flightline personnel pick up several pounds of debris, including rocks, nuts, bolts, pens and more. To keep flightline areas clear of debris it takes everyone's efforts. Airmen need to take some basic preventive measures, such as emptying pockets, conducting a tool inventory after job completion, or picking up that supersized plastic cup that blew out of the dumpster, before it finds its way into the intake of a running turbine. Everyone who drives on the Kirtland Air Force Base flightline is responsible for FOD. It is their responsibility to remove FOD when they see it and report it to their unit FOD monitor. FOD checkpoints are at each flightline entrance and vehicle drivers need to perform a vehicle FOD check before proceeding onto the flightline. Failure to do a proper FOD check can result in revocation of flightline driving privileges. Before entering the flightline, drivers need to stop and remove foreign materials from the vehicle's tires. When vehicles are operated on unpaved surfaces, rocks, mud, gravel and other debris may become stuck in the tire treads and lodged between dual wheels. Drivers who leave the pavement at any point and re-enter the flightline, taxiway or aircraft parking ramp must do a FOD check. Also, if the driver of the vehicle is not in the driver's seat, the vehicle engine must be off and the parking brake set. FOD consciousness is a state of mind that requires developing a permanent commitment to detect and eliminate debris on base, especially on the flightline.