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.

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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.