Federal Aviation
FOD Detection Administration
System
Evaluation, Performance
Assessment and
Regulatory Guidance
Wildlife and Foreign Object Debris (FOD)
Workshop, Cairo, Egypt
March 24 - 26, 2014
John R Weller
Federal Aviation
Administration
Automated FOD Detection
Why is the FAA Interested?
Air France Flight 4590 was a Concorde flight operated by Air
France which was scheduled to fly from Charles de Gaulle
International Airport near Paris, to John F. Kennedy International
Airport in New York City. On 25 July 2000, it crashed into a hotel in
Gonesse, France. All one hundred passengers and nine crew
members on board the flight died. On the ground, four people were
killed and one seriously injured.
Five minutes before the Concorde, a Continental Airlines DC-10
departing for Newark, New Jersey, had lost a titanium alloy strip,
435 millimeters (17.1 in) long and about 29 to 34 millimeters
(1.1 to 1.3 in) wide, during takeoff from the same runway. French
authorities acknowledged that a required runway inspection was
not completed after the Continental takeoff, as was protocol for
Concorde-takeoff preparation.[8]
During the Concorde's subsequent take-off run this piece of debris,
still lying on the runway, cut a tire, rupturing it. A large chunk of tire Aug 20, 2007 China Air 737-800 – Fuel tank punctured by bolt from
slat.
debris (4.5 kilograms or 9.9 pounds) struck the underside of the
aircraft's wing at an estimated speed of 140 meters per second
(310 mph)
Federal Aviation
Administration
Evaluation of FOD Detection Systems
Project Description:
Evaluate and develop operational performance standards for ground based
FOD Detection systems designed to detect foreign object debris (FOD) that is
on the surface of a runway or taxiway.
Federal Aviation
Administration
Automated FOD Detection
FAA Goals
Develop performance standards for Automated
FOD Detection Systems.
1. Conduct research & publish technical notes
2. Develop FAA Advisory Circulars specifically for
FOD detection systems and FOD management
3. Enable civil airports opportunity to apply for
federal funding to procure systems
Federal Aviation
Administration
Automated FOD Detection
Approach
• Install systems at US airport.
• Work with vendor during installation.
• Utilize Center of Excellence for Airport Technology
(CEAT) – Univ of Illinois - for manpower and
expertise.
• Conduct 12 month evaluation of system, though
comprehensive test protocol.
Federal Aviation
Administration
Automated FOD Detection
Technologies Assessed:
• QinetiQ – Tarsier Radar – Providence, RI (PVD)
– Millimeter Wave Radar
– Mounted on Rigid Towers
• Stratech – iFerret – Chicago O’Hare (ORD)
– High Resolution Camera
– Mounted on Rigid Towers
• X-Sight – FODetect – Boston Logan (BOS)
– High Resolution Camera and Millimeter Wave Radar
– Mounted on Airport Lighting Fixtures
• Trex Enterprises – FOD Finder – Chicago O’Hare (ORD)
– Millimeter Wave Radar and Infrared Cameras
– Mounted on roof of Airport Vehicle
Federal Aviation
Administration
Background
• In 2007 the FAA began conducting performance
assessments of automated systems designed to detect
FOD on runways.
• Boston Logan International Airport was selected as one
of the sites to conduct the assessments.
• Between June 2008 and May 2009, the FAA conducted
tests on the XSight FODetect system at BOS to
determine the performance capabilities of the system.
• The FODetect system was able to detect objects of
various sizes, shapes and materials on runway surfaces
and perform satisfactorily in nighttime, daytime sun,
rain, mist, fog and snow.
Federal Aviation
Administration
Automated FOD Detection
XSight – FODetect, Boston Logan (BOS)
- High Resolution Camera and Millimeter Wave Radar
- Mounted on Airport Lighting Fixtures
Federal Aviation
Administration
Location of Sensors
Trailer
Federal Aviation
Administration
XSight – FODetect BOS Testing
Federal Aviation
Administration
QinetiQ Tarsier Camera Installations
Millimeter Wave Radar mounted on rigid towers
Vancouver International
Canada
London Heathrow RAF Boscombe Down
UK UK
Federal Aviation
Administration
QinetiQ Tarsier camera in operation
•Providence, RI (PVD)
Federal Aviation
Administration
QinetiQ Tarsier camera in operation
Federal Aviation
Administration
Stratech iFerret – Chicago O’Hare (ORD)
High Resolution Camera
Mounted on Rigid Towers
Federal Aviation
Administration
Stratech iFerret Chicago O’Hare (ORD)
Federal Aviation
Administration
Stratech iFerret
Federal Aviation
Administration
Stratech iFerret
Federal Aviation
Administration
Trex Enterprises FOD Finder Chicago O’Hare (ORD)
Millimeter Wave Radar and Infrared Cameras
Mounted on roof of Airport Vehicle
Federal Aviation
Administration
Trex Enterprises FOD Finder Radar/Optics Configuration
Optical tracking & ID system
Features
•Millimeter Wave Radar
•Multi-axis IR/video sensor tracking ball
•Relocate to alternate vehicles quickly
•Mount to any flat surface
Federal Aviation
Administration
Radar sweep
FOD Finder CONOPS •600 Feet wide
•Single Pass
•Cover full width of runway
•Cover approaching taxiways/high speed turnoffs
Low-cost, High efficiency Solution!
Federal Aviation
Administration
Trex FOD Finder
User view showing detected FOD items and sweep line.
Federal Aviation
Administration
Detection Capability Testing
Federal Aviation
Administration
Calibration Testing
Known Position – Known Items
• Determine detection performance
using known, repeatable targets at
measured distances from the
sensor (known object of known size
at known position and distance)
• 6 lines of 5 cylinders with a specific
reflectivity
• 6 lines approximately equally
spaced along the runway.
Federal Aviation
Administration
Detection Capability Testing
Known Location- Unknown Items
• Standard objects used in standard grids of approximately
equal spacing down the runway
• Each object in grid was placed randomly
• Repetition of this experiment will build a statistical basis for
what the radar will detect
Federal Aviation
Administration
Blind Testing
Unknown position – Unknown Items
• Determine detection performance
using known, repeatable targets at
measured distances from the
sensor and randomly placed
unknown items.
• 6 lines of 5 cylinders with a specific
reflectivity, equally spaced along
the runway.
• Randomly placed FOD Items
Federal Aviation
Administration
Status of Research
• AC150/5220-24 –Airport FOD Detection
Equipment– September 2009
• AC 150/5210-24 – Airport FOD Management –
September 2010 (Cancels 5380-5B, Debris
Hazards at Civil Airports (7/96)
• Technical Notes have been published for each
technology
Federal Aviation
Administration
FOD Detection – Future Plans
• Two AC’s are out and published
• Continue development of national FOD database
(FOD.FAA.GOV)
• Continue Characterization Study of FOD being found
at airports – ORD and others
• Evaluation/assessment of
FOD Removal tools
• New Technologies
Fod Boss
Federal Aviation
Administration
