Boeing KC-46 Deliveries Halted

Breaking Defense ^ | 4/2/2019 | COLIN CLARK

[WhoisAlanGreenspan?]

CAPITOL HILL: More than a week after the Air Force halted Boeing’s deliveries of KC-46 tankers, Congress and the public learned of the latest shutdown forced by the discovery of more Foreign Object Debris in finished planes.

This time, outgoing Air Force Secretary Heather Wilson told the chairman of the House Armed Services seapower and power projection subcommittee, that: “We actually stopped again the acceptance of KC-46s again after Foreign Object Debris was found in closed compartments.”

Rep. Joe Courtney may have been briefed before the hearing began since he asked Wilson for an update on the FOD issue, citing this second discovery. Also, he did not appear surprised at Wilson’s answer

[A strike]

There may be a more recent definition (16C/34C at SEA is ‘relatively’ recent), but that does not change the original designation of FOD.

[21twelve]

From a Lockheed-Martin Training slideshow titled “Foreign Object Damage Prevention”:

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Formal Definition:

Foreign Object Damage (FOD) - Any damage attributed to a foreign object that can be expressed in physical or economic terms which may or may not degrade the product’s safety and / or performance characteristics.

Foreign Object Debris (FOD) - A substance, debris, loose hardware, or article alien to a vehicle or system which could potentially cause damage.

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I was outside on the tarmac at SeaTac on projects in 93-96 where the FOD regarded debris (we had to be really careful not to drop anything, etc.). I imagine guys repairing the planes would use the term “damage” more often.

Interesting that they have the same acronym for two related, but related things.

[Yo-Yo]

You've seen one twin engine cargo aircraft, you've seen them all.

DoD reset the designation system in 1962.

Aircraft such as the C-130 and KC-135 were designated prior to 1962. The C-141 was the last aircraft from the older designation scheme.

[Yo-Yo]

When I was in the USAF (1977-81) FOD was Foreign Object Damage, but we would always say FOD Damage, which means we were really saying Foreign Object Damage Damage.

[PLMerite]

Still a good looking aircraft.

[JoeFromSidney]

One summer between college years I worked on the brick layers gang in a steel mill. We'd periodically rebuild the blast furnaces. There was a strict check-in, check-out procedure. We didn't want to inadvertently leave someone behind when the job was done.

[A strike]

As I said, there may be a more recent definition of FOD added/applied. That does not in any way change the original definition.