Accident underscores FOD threat
A November airline takeoff incident in South Africa, reportedly involving foreign object damage (FOD), has attracted the attention of aviation safety offic

A November airline takeoff incident in South Africa, reportedly involving foreign object damage (FOD), has attracted the attention of aviation safety officials worldwide and could be of concern to corporate operators of aircraft with powerful low-slung engines, such as the Boeing BBJ and 757/767 and the Airbus ACJ.

In the incident, the crew of a Nationwide Airlines Boeing 737-200 heard a loud bang as they rotated for liftoff at the Cape Town airport and, with an apparently failed starboard engine, climbed straight ahead. In the passenger cabin, a window-seat occupant reportedly told his companion, “Look, the engine just fell off.” And indeed it had, taking the pylon with it. The crew continued the climb and, after circling to burn off fuel, performed an uneventful engine-out landing.