FAA says EMAS crushable material can stop some runway overruns

In short: The FAA says EMAS, a bed of crushable material at runway ends, can safely stop many planes that accidentally run off the runway during landing.

What happened

Airports can install a system called EMAS, short for Engineered Materials Arresting System. It places a section of lightweight, crushable material at the end of some runways. The idea is to reduce the damage if a plane does not stop in time and goes past the paved runway.

The FAA describes how it works in simple terms. When a plane rolls into the EMAS area, its tires sink into the material, and the material crushes in a controlled way. That creates strong drag, like driving a car into deep gravel (it slows you down fast without needing a wall).

The FAA says a standard EMAS setup will stop most aircraft that overrun a runway at about 70 knots, which is roughly 80 mph. The system is not meant to prevent all crashes. It is a last-line safety measure for one specific kind of incident, a runway overrun during landing.

Why it matters

Runway ends sometimes sit near roads, water, fences, or other hazards. EMAS is mainly used at airports that do not have enough space for a full runway safety area. The FAA says EMAS has safely stopped 26 overrunning aircraft carrying 497 people, suggesting it can reduce harm in real incidents, but it will not help with other types of crashes or very high-speed overruns.

Source: NYTimes