A nasty and expensive three-letter acronym in the aircraft insurance business is FOD…
What Is FOD and Is It Covered?
I have seen a rash of Foreign Object Damage (FOD) engine-related claims thus far in 2026. The first thing that will always come to an aircraft owner’s mind when the repair or overhaul facility tells you that you have FOD damage in your engine: Does insurance cover this? Generally speaking, the short answer is yes – virtually ALL underwriting carriers writing turbine aircraft hull and liability policies in the USA have FOD-related coverages built into their policy forms – coverage, however, being confirmed will typically require defining the ‘occurrence’ of the FOD damage to be within the policy period and within the parameters outlined in the policy.
Check Your Engine Program First
One piece of advice I give to my turbine customers with aircraft enrolled in an engine program is to first check with the program to confirm whether it covers FOD damage. Several engine-related programs, such as Williams TAP Blue, MORE program, and JSSI, include partial or full coverage for FOD damage to engines.
Since the aircraft owner is paying hourly into these engine programs,it sometimes makes more financial sense to submit a FOD claim through their engine program than through their aircraft hull and liability insurance carrier.
Why It Matters for Your Insurance Rates
While the hull and liability carrier certainly will cover most FOD damage within the policy conditions, the future insurability/rates can certainly be impacted if you have a sizeable FOD claim/loss. FOD coverage available through the engine program provider will have little to no direct impact on your hourly engine program rate.
Read the Fine Print
Not all situations are equal here, and not all engine programs cover FOD, so you may ultimately end up with no choice but to file a claim with your hull and liability insurer. It is, however, best to thoroughly review your engine program contract and the coverages under that contract before contacting your aircraft insurance broker. Paying attention to the fine print in the engine program may help you avoid impacts on your insurance landscape with your aircraft’s insurers for years to come.