An SF340 pilot comments about the FOD in the vicinity of iad gate.

Attributes
ACN	667256
Time
Date	200508
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : iad.airport
State Reference	VA
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : iad.tower
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Saab-Scania Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : parked ground : taxi
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : multi engine pilot : instrument pilot : commercial pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 170 flight time total : 4125 flight time type : 1125
ASRS Report	667256
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Events
Anomaly	ground encounters : fod ground encounters other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : unable
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Company Airport
Primary Problem	Company

Narrative:

Ramp areas are not being kept clean. We taxied in with #1 shut down. After parking; I found FOD on my walkaround. There is no excuse for bag tags; food wrappers and metal parts to be laying on the ramp area. A spring was found below the #1 engine. Had we taxied in on 2 engines; the spring may have been ingested and ruined an engine. An easy way to correct this problem would be to have the ramp swept nightly and the ground crew to do a FOD inspection prior to parking the aircraft. On the follow preflight; 1 hour later; a golf ball was found in front of the aircraft along with numerous papers.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN SF340 PLT COMMENTS ABOUT THE FOD IN THE VICINITY OF IAD GATE.

Narrative: RAMP AREAS ARE NOT BEING KEPT CLEAN. WE TAXIED IN WITH #1 SHUT DOWN. AFTER PARKING; I FOUND FOD ON MY WALKAROUND. THERE IS NO EXCUSE FOR BAG TAGS; FOOD WRAPPERS AND METAL PARTS TO BE LAYING ON THE RAMP AREA. A SPRING WAS FOUND BELOW THE #1 ENG. HAD WE TAXIED IN ON 2 ENGS; THE SPRING MAY HAVE BEEN INGESTED AND RUINED AN ENG. AN EASY WAY TO CORRECT THIS PROB WOULD BE TO HAVE THE RAMP SWEPT NIGHTLY AND THE GND CREW TO DO A FOD INSPECTION PRIOR TO PARKING THE ACFT. ON THE FOLLOW PREFLT; 1 HR LATER; A GOLF BALL WAS FOUND IN FRONT OF THE ACFT ALONG WITH NUMEROUS PAPERS.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.