An engineered materials arrestor system, engineered materials arresting system (EMAS), or arrester bed is a bed of engineered materials built at the end of a

runway According to the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), a runway is a "defined rectangular area on a land aerodrome prepared for the landing and takeoff of aircraft". Runways may be a man-made surface (often asphalt concrete, as ...

to reduce the severity of the consequences of a

runway excursion A runway excursion is a runway safety incident where an aircraft makes an inappropriate exit from the runway. Runway excursions include runway overruns, where an aircraft is unable to stop before it reaches the end of the runway. Runway excursion ...

. Engineered materials are defined in FAA Advisory Circular No 150/5220-22B as "high energy absorbing materials of selected strength, which will reliably and predictably crush under the weight of an aircraft". While the current technology involves lightweight, crushable concrete blocks, any material that has been approved to meet the FAA Advisory Circular can be used for an EMAS. The purpose of an EMAS is to stop an aircraft overrun with no human injury and minimal aircraft damage. The aircraft is slowed by the loss of energy required to crush the EMAS material. An EMAS is similar in concept to the

runaway truck ramp A runaway truck ramp, runaway truck lane, escape lane, emergency escape ramp, or truck arrester bed is a traffic device that enables vehicles which are having braking problems to safely stop. It is typically a long, sand- or gravel-filled lane co ...

or race circuit gravel trap, made of

gravel Gravel is a loose aggregation of rock fragments. Gravel occurs naturally throughout the world as a result of sedimentary and erosive geologic processes; it is also produced in large quantities commercially as crushed stone. Gravel is classifi ...

or sand. It is intended to stop an aircraft that has overshot a runway when there is an insufficient free space for a standard

runway safety area A runway safety area (RSA) or runway end safety area (RESA) is defined as "the surface surrounding the runway prepared or suitable for reducing the risk of damage to airplanes in the event of an undershoot, overshoot, or excursion from the runway. ...

(RSA). Multiple patents have been issued on the construction and design on the materials and process. FAA Advisory Circular 150/5220-22B explains that an EMAS may not be effective for incidents involving aircraft of less than weight. It also clarifies that an EMAS is not the same as a stopway, which is defined in FAA Advisory Circular 150/5300-13A, Section 312. As of May 2017, the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) has been working on developing a harmonized regulation regarding arresting systems. Research projects completed in Europe have looked into the cost-effectiveness of EMAS. Arrestor beds have been installed at airports where the runway safety areas are below standards, and their ability to stop aircraft with minimal or no damage to the air frame and its occupants has proven to bring results far beyond the cost of installations. The latest report, "Estimated Cost-Benefit Analysis of Runway Severity Reduction Based on Actual Arrestments", shows how the money saved through the first 11 arrestments has reached a calculated total of 1.9 billion USD, thus saving more than $1 B over the estimated cost of development (R&D, all installations worldwide, maintenance and repairs reaching a total of USD 600 million). The study suggests that mitigating the consequences of runway excursions worldwide may turn out to be much more cost-effective than the current focus on reducing the already very low probability of occurrence.

United States installations

The

FAA The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is the largest transportation agency of the U.S. government and regulates all aspects of civil aviation in the country as well as over surrounding international waters. Its powers include air traffic m ...

's design criteria for new airports designate Runway Safety Areas (RSAs) to increase the margin of safety if an overrun occurs and to provide additional access room for response vehicles. A United States federal law required that the length of RSAs in airports was to be by the end of 2015, in a response to a runway overrun into a highway at

Teterboro Airport Teterboro Airport is a general aviation relief airport in the boroughs of Teterboro, Moonachie, and Hasbrouck Heights in Bergen County, New Jersey. At airports built before these standards were put into effect, the FAA has funded the installation of EMAS at the ends of main runways. The minimum recommended overall length of an EMAS installation is , of which at least is to consist of the frangible material. , ESCO's EMAS is installed at 112 runway ends at 68 airports in the United States, with plans to install three EMAS systems at two additional U.S. airports. As of 2017 the FAA reported that EMAS systems had been used 12 times, but that in some situations pilots tried to avoid the EMAS, steering to the grass sides in low-energy events in order to avoid publicity.

Non-U.S. installations

Of the 15 non-U.S. installations, eight were provided by Zodiac Arresting Systems (two in China, two in Madrid, one in Taiwan, two in Norway and one in Saudi Arabia), six were provided by RunwaySafe (one in Switzerland, and three in overseas departments of France – one in

Reunion Island Reunion may refer to: * Class reunion * Family reunion Reunion, Réunion, Re-union, Reunions or The Reunion may also refer to: Places * Réunion, a French overseas department and island in the Indian Ocean * Reunion, Commerce City, Colorado, ...

, two in

Mayotte Mayotte (; french: Mayotte, ; Shimaore: ''Maore'', ; Kibushi: ''Maori'', ), officially the Department of Mayotte (french: Département de Mayotte), is an overseas department and region and single territorial collectivity of France. It is loc ...

), one in Japan, one in Germany, two in Brazil and one provided by Hankge (China).

FAA-approved manufacturers

, there were three recognized EMAS materials (from two manufacturers worldwide) that meet the FAA requirements of Advisory Circular 150-5220-22B, "Engineered Materials Arresting Systems for Aircraft Overruns." (The FAA must review and approve each EMAS installation.) The first EMAS was developed in the mid-1990s by ESCO/Engineered Arresting Systems Corp. (later Zodiac Arresting Systems) as part of a collaboration and technical acceptance by the FAA. The fourth generation EMAS arrestor beds are composed of blocks of lightweight, crushable cellular concrete material, encased in jet blast resistant protection, designed to safely stop airplanes that overshoot runways. Zodiac's EMAS is installed on over 110 airport runways at over 65 airports on three continents. Zodiac's EMAS has undergone aircraft test runs at speeds up and is the only EMAS that has safely stopped aircraft in emergency overrun situations at commercial airports. Zodiac stopped production of EMAS systems as the U.S market slowed down and competition increased in the international market. The Swedish company Runway Safe AB developed an EMAS system, a foamed silica bed made from recycled glass contained within a high-strength plastic mesh system anchored to the pavement at the end of the runway. The foamed silica is poured into lanes bounded by the mesh and covered with a poured cement layer and treated with a top coat of sealant. A third manufacturer, certified by the Chinese CAAC, has a product that is very similar to the original Zodiac EMAS, but it is not FAA approved.

Incidents

*In May 1999, a Saab 340 commuter aircraft with 30 persons aboard overran the runway at JFK. *In May 2003, a Gemini Cargo MD-11 cargo aircraft with 3 persons aboard overran the runway at JFK. *In January 2005, a Boeing 747 cargo aircraft with 3 persons aboard overran the runway at JFK. *In July 2006, a Mystere Falcon 900 business aircraft with 5 persons aboard overran the runway at Greenville Downtown Airport in South Carolina. *In July 2008, an Airbus A320 commercial airliner with 145 persons aboard overran the runway at Chicago's O'Hare Airport. *On 19 January 2010, a Bombardier CRJ-200 commercial regional airliner with 34 persons aboard overran the runway at Yeager Airport in Charleston, West Virginia after a rejected takeoff. *On 1 October 2010, a G-4 Gulfstream business aircraft with 10 persons aboard overran the runway at Teterboro Airport in Teterboro, New Jersey. *On 2 November 2011, a Cessna Citation II business aircraft with 5 persons aboard overran the runway at Key West International Airport in Key West, Florida. *In October 2013, a Cessna 680 Citation business aircraft with 8 persons aboard overran the runway at Palm Beach International in West Palm Beach, Florida. *In January 2016, a

Dassault Falcon 20 The Dassault Falcon 20 is a French business jet developed and manufactured by Dassault Aviation. The first business jet developed by the firm, it became the first of a family of business jets to be produced under the same name; of these, both t ...

aircraft with 2 persons aboard overran the runway at

Chicago Executive Airport Chicago Executive Airport , formerly Palwaukee Municipal Airport, is a public airport 18 miles (33 km) northwest of Chicago, in the village of Wheeling in Cook County, Illinois, United States. It is owned by the City of Prospect Heights a ...

in Wheeling, Illinois. *In October 2016, a Boeing 737 aircraft with 37 persons aboard, including Republican vice-presidential candidate

Mike Pence Michael Richard Pence (born June 7, 1959) is an American politician who served as the 48th vice president of the United States from 2017 to 2021 under President Donald Trump. A member of the Republican Party, he previously served as the 50th ...

, overran the runway at

LaGuardia Airport LaGuardia Airport is a civil airport in East Elmhurst, Queens, New York City. Covering , the facility was established in 1929 and began operating as a public airport in 1939. It is named after former New York City mayor Fiorello La Guardia. ...

, New York. *In April 2017, a Cessna 750 Citation aircraft with 2 persons aboard overran the runway at Bob Hope Airport in Burbank, California. *In December 2018, a Boeing 737 aircraft with 117 persons aboard overran Runway 8 at Bob Hope Airport in Burbank, California. *On 27 February 2019 an Embraer Phenom 100 operated by Quest Diagnostic Laboratories overran a runway at the Charles B. Wheeler Kansas City Downtown Airport (KMKC) at 4:28am local time resulting in the safe stopping of the aircraft with the pilot being the only occupant aboard. Additional media coverage of EMAS statistics, installations, and general news include: *After the 8 December 2005 overshoot of

Southwest Airlines Flight 1248 Southwest Airlines Flight 1248 was a scheduled passenger flight from Baltimore, Maryland, to Chicago, Illinois, continuing on to Salt Lake City, Utah, and then to Las Vegas, Nevada. On December 8, 2005, the airplane slid off a runway at Chica ...

Midway International Airport Chicago Midway International Airport , typically referred to as Midway Airport, Chicago Midway, or simply Midway, is a major commercial airport on the Southwest side of Chicago, Illinois, located approximately 12 miles (19 km) from the Lo ...

in Chicago, Illinois, which is located in a heavily congested area, an EMAS was installed on Rwy 13C/31C. *On 13 October 2006,

New York Yankees The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Amer ...

player

Alex Rodriguez Alexander Emmanuel Rodriguez (born July 27, 1975), nicknamed "A-Rod", is an American former professional baseball shortstop and third baseman, businessman and philanthropist. Rodriguez played 22 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the ...

's private jet was brought to a halt safely by the EMAS installation at

Bob Hope Airport Hollywood Burbank Airport, legally and formerly marketed as Bob Hope Airport after entertainer Bob Hope , is a public airport northwest of downtown Burbank, in Los Angeles County, California, United States.. Federal Aviation Administration. ef ...

in Burbank, California. The system was installed after the 2000

Southwest Airlines Flight 1455 Southwest Airlines Flight 1455 was a scheduled passenger flight from McCarran International Airport, Las Vegas, Nevada to Burbank-Glendale-Pasadena Airport, Burbank, California, that overran the runway during landing on March 5, 2000. The a ...

runway overshoot that injured 43 passengers and the captain. *On 1 May 2017, the FAA issued a summary citing twelve incidents of aircraft stopped by EMAS, involving a total of 284 passengers and crew.
FAA Fact Sheet

References

{{Reflist

External links

EMAS at The FAA websiteGulfstream II stopped by EMAS at Burbank"Rethinking Overrun Protection"
- Aerosafety World, Aug. 2006 (Three EMAS Saves: 1999, 2003, 2005)
"EMAS Saves Falcon 20 at Chicago Executive"
*[http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO1&Sect2=HITOFF&d=PALL&p=1&u=%2Fnetahtml%2FPTO%2Fsrchnum.htm&r=1&f=G&l=50&s1=5,902,068.PN.&OS=PN/5,902,068&RS=PN/5,902,068 Patent No. 5,902,068; Vehicle arresting unit fabrication methods]
Patent No. 5,885,025; Vehicle arresting bed systems
* ttp://runwaysafe.com/ Swedish company Runwaysafe AB Airport infrastructure Runway safety Vehicle braking technologies