They can be as small as a rock or baggage tag, but foreign objects on the airport runway can have real consequences.
The Kelowna International Airport held a special exercise Friday to remind staff to stay vigilant when it comes to debris on the tarmac.
Clad in high-viz vests, airport staff and others whose work brings them to the Kelowna International Airport, were sweeping the tarmac for what officials call “foreign object debris.”
These foreign objects on the runway or apron can have serious safety implications.
“A screwdriver could punch a hole in an aircraft tire, so when he lands or departs he is landing not quite the way he should. It could cause him to veer off slightly,” said Darrell Belgrove, chief of airport operations and fire.
“Today we found a piece of bubble wrap that was probably about two feet square. If an aircraft ingested something like that…the hazards and the risks are high.”
Belgrove said some items, like the bubble wrap, may be carried by the wind onto airport property.
The worst-case scenario was the deadly Concorde crash in France 17 years ago that was triggered by a piece of metal on the runway.
Airport staff routinely look for debris. Friday’s exercise was meant to be a reminder for the entire airport community to be on the lookout for foreign objects on the runway and apron.