MSAENV472B Etihad Airways line-maintenance | Case Study
Minimizing Aircraft Wheel Replacement due to FOD damages
This case study has been developed to propose Etihad Airways line-maintenance to take some extra measures to control the FOD so as to minimize the numbers of Aircraft wheel’s replacement due to FOD damages, hence this will reduced the environmental impact of tires production and its waste.
Environmental Impact of Tires production and its waste:-
The environmental impacts from tire production include odour, dust emissions, noise, waste, energy consumption and solvent emissions (VOC emissions). The most significant of these impacts are VOC emissions and, locally, odour.
Tires are scrapped at a rate of 1.1 tire/person/year leading to over 300 million tires scrapped per year. Landfill space is becoming more and more scarce as tires do not biodegrade and have significant negative space.
Used Tire Hazards
- Tires are a breeding ground for mosquitoes – an ever alarming issue with the rise of the West Nile Virus.
- Tires have potential for tire fires which produce acid smoke harmful to humans and the environment as well as leaves behind a oily residue. Tire fires are not extinguishable and in some instances burn for several weeks.
- Tires take up landfill space and as land is becoming more and more scarce, it will lead towards illegal dumping. This drives down home values and causes socio-economic segregation as tires typically are dumped in low income areas.
- Tires in landfills have led to worker injury and death. With the amount of negative space in tires, as they are compressed with more waste, they have a tendency to rebound to the surface, leading to tires rolling for falling onto workers.
Recycled tires still have an impact. Tire chunks are used for rubberized asphault. Studies show, leaching of toxin contaminate soil and ground water (when placed in wet soil). Rubberized chunks produce more leaching.
Energy is required to recycle tires for pyrolysis and other recycling methods. Energy in the form of Electricity, Fuels and Microwaves must be used.
Retread process is highly efficient and low in emissions however limited to number of retreads before disposal of tire. In most cases all processes have an impact to the environment via soil or water leaching and/or overall energy consumed during manufacturing and recycling.
Waste management at Abu Dhabi airport
Abu Dhabi International Airport serves as the hub for Etihad Airways and the ground handling operations fall under Etihad Airport Services. Significant material with the potential for recycling is diverted from the waste stream generated the ground and cargo handling activities. This includes waste oil, tires, batteries, metals, wood, plastic and glass, with over 250 tons collected for recycling in 2017.
A total of 957 tons of inflight catering materials including cardboard, metals and plastics were collected for recycling.
In relation to environmental management and pollution prevention, legislative compliance and the demonstration of due diligence is required in accordance with relevant UAE Federal Law and local legislation.
Etihad has developed an Environment, Health and Safety Management System (EHSMS), to set guidelines in compliance with these laws. This manual makes reference to the following laws, standards, policies and procedures:
- Abu Dhabi Department of Transport EHSMS Guidelines
- Abu Dhabi EHS Policy, 2007 & Abu Dhabi EHS Law, 2009
- Abu Dhabi EHSMS Manual, Guidelines and Codes of Practice, EAD,2009
- ISO14001;2004-Environmental Management Systems – Requirements
- UAE Federal Law 24 of 1999 – Protecting and Developing the Environment
What is F.O.D and Its Impact:-
Foreign object debris (FOD) is any object that does not belong in or near airplanes and, as a result, can injure airport or airline personnel and damage airplanes.
FOD at airports includes any object found in an inappropriate location that — as a result of being in that location — can damage equipment or injure airplane or airport personnel. The resulting damage is estimated to cost the aerospace industry $4 billion a year.
FOD includes a wide range of material, including loose hardware, pavement fragments, catering supplies, building materials, rocks, sand, pieces of luggage,twisted metal strips, components detached from aircraft or vehicles, concrete chunks from the runway, and plastic products and even wildlife. FOD is found at terminal gates, cargo aprons, taxiways, runways, and run-up pads. It causes damage through direct contact with airplanes, such as by cutting airplane tires or being ingested into engines, or as a result of being thrown by jet blast and damaging airplanes or injuring people.
We are finding a number of dust caps on ADIA Runways and Taxiways.
The dust caps are used to cover the brake bleeding system. Those FODs can cause damage to aircraft tires when taxiing and during takeoff and landings. This type of risk needs to be reduced to an Acceptable Level of Safety (ALoS). The below shows where those caps were found:
|
Location of cap found |
Runways |
Taxiway |
Service Road |
Total |
|
Caps numeral |
11 |
19 |
2 |
32 |
Dust caps (FOD) for the Brake bleeding system on Aircraft Landing Gear
FOD Damages on Aircraft Wheel Tire’s
Recommendation:
All Aircraft operators are to be informed and ensure that mitigation actions are put in place to prevent dust caps on the paved surfaces. For example, technical personal staff can tighten up the cap when walk-around inspection is being performed.
Unnecessary and premature tyre replacement has an environmental impact. Often, premature tyre replacement is caused by FOD (foreign object damage). Due to a lack of FOD control in a certain areas, many tyres are replaced as a result of towing to Base Maintenance.
It must be understood that there is a handover from Etihad’s Part145 (Line Maintenance) to Abu Dhabi Aircraft Technologies (Base Maintenance).
Etihad’s Last defense to unnecessary tire replacement is a FOD Walk from where the aircraft enters base maintenance to the hangar/bay.
F.O.D Controls:-
Airports, airlines, and airport tenants can reduce this cost by taking steps to prevent airport FOD. A FOD-prevention program of training, facility inspection, maintenance, and coordination between all affected parties can minimize FOD and its effects.
A program to control airport FOD is most effective when it addresses four main areas:
1 Training.
2 Inspection by airline, airport, and airplane handling agency personnel.
3 Maintenance.
4 Coordination.
1) TRAINING
All airport and airline personnel and airport tenants should receive training in the identification and elimination of FOD, including the potential consequences of ignoring it. This training can supplement the general FOD awareness incorporated into the airside driver-training curriculum at many airports. FOD training for flight crews includes following the recommended procedures identified in the Flight Crew Operating Manual and pre- and post-flight inspection procedures covered during line training.
Effective training should stress safety to personnel and passengers, the hazards to equipment, the direct costs associated with FOD damage, and the indirect costs associated with flight delays and rescheduling. It should also include procedures for removing and eliminating FOD at its source, and should be reinforced through the use of posters and signs. Recurrent training is necessary to help maintain an awareness of FOD.
2) INSPECTION
Airline personnel, when feasible, should join the airport staff in daily airside inspections. This practice helps increase familiarity with local airfield conditions, and promotes effective communication between the airport and airlines.
The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) require a daily, daylight inspection of airplane maneuvering areas and removal of FOD. In addition to performing these inspections at the beginning of the day or shift, personnel on the airside should look for FOD during their normal shifts.
Ongoing construction requires more frequent inspections. It may even be necessary to assign dedicated personnel to continually inspect for FOD during major construction activities. Flight crews should report to air traffic control and station operations any FOD they observe on runways and taxiways. Airlines and airplane handling agents should designate individuals to inspect gate areas prior to airplane movement to and from the gate.
