Engineered materials arrestor system

An Engineered materials arrestor system or Engineered materials arresting system (EMAS) is a bed of lightweight, crushable concrete built at the end of a runway. The purpose of an EMAS is to stop an aircraft overrun with no human injury and minimal aircraft damage (usually none). The aircraft is slowed by the loss of energy required to crush the concrete blocks. An EMAS is similar in concept to the runaway truck ramp made of gravel. It is intended to stop aircraft that have overshot a runway when there is an insufficient free space for a standard runway safety area (RSA).

The EMAS installed at New York City's John F. Kennedy International Airport in 1999 has successfully stopped three aircraft, including one Boeing 747.

Approved manufacturers

Currently the only FAA approved producer of EMAS is Engineered Arresting Systems Corporation (ESCO). ESCO designs the EMAS beds and manufactures the concrete blocks at a facility in Logan Township, New Jersey. The concrete blocks cost US$1,000 each.

Runway overshoots leading to EMAS installation

On October 13, 2006, New York Yankee Alex Rodriguez's private jet was brought to a halt safely by the EMAS system at Burbank Airport. The system was installed after the 2000 Southwest Airlines runway overshoot that injured 43 passengers and the captain.cite news
url=http://www.topix.net/content/trb/0675441353170080772340390497490364063074
title=Yankee Player's Jet Overruns Runway in Burbank
first=Jennifer
last=Oldham
work=Los Angeles Times
date=2006-10-14
quote=The airport installed the $4-million safety system after a Southwest Airlines Boeing 737 skidded off the same runway and onto a street in 2000, injuring 43 passengers and the captain on the same runway.]

After the December 8, 2005 overshoot of Southwest Airlines Flight 1248 at Chicago Midway International Airport, which is located in a heavily congested area, an EMAS was installed on Rwy 13C/31C. [cite web
title=KMDW Airport Diagram
url=http://flightaware.com/resources/airport/MDW/APD/AIRPORT+DIAGRAM/pdf
accessdate=2008-01-07
format=PDF]

ee also

*List of notable accidents and incidents on commercial aircraft

References

External links

* [http://www.faa.gov/news/fact_sheets/news_story.cfm?newsId=6279 EMAS at The FAA website]
* [http://www.airliners.net/open.file?id=1124053 Gulfstream II stopped by EMAS at Burbank]
* [http://www.esco.zodiac.com/index.cfm/navid-43 ESCO site explaining EMAS with pictures]