Engineered Material Arresting System (EMAS)

Friday, September 20, 2024

Background

The runway safety area (RSA) enhances the safety of aircraft that undershoot, overrun, or veer off the runway. The RSA provides a clear, graded area which provides additional space for pilots to bring their aircraft to a safe stop. Though RSAs vary in size by runway, they can be as large as 500 feet wide and often extend 1,000 feet beyond each end of the runway. Many airports were built before the current RSA dimensional standards were adopted in the 1980s. In some cases, it is not practicable to achieve the full standard RSA because there may be a lack of available land. There also may be obstacles such as bodies of water, highways, railroads, and populated areas or severe drop-off of terrain.

The FAA began conducting research in the 1990s to determine how to improve safety at airports where the full RSA cannot be obtained. Working in concert with the University of Dayton, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, and the Engineered Arresting Systems Corporation (ESCO, now Runway Safe Inc., of Logan Township, New Jersey), a new technology emerged to safely arrest overrunning aircraft. Engineered Materials Arresting Systems (EMAS) use crushable material placed at the end of a runway to help stop an aircraft that overruns the runway end. The tires of the aircraft sink into the lightweight material and the aircraft rapidly decelerates as it rolls through the EMAS bed.

Benefits of the EMAS Technology

EMAS technology improves safety benefits in cases where land is not available for an RSA of standard dimensions. A standard EMAS installation will stop most aircraft overrunning the runway at 70 knots (approximately 80 miles per hour).

EMAS Manufacturers

Runway Safe acquired the EMASMAX® product range from ESCO as of February 2020. Runway Safe is the sole manufacturer of EMAS products that meet the FAA standards of Advisory Circular 150-5220-22B, “Engineered Materials Arresting Systems for Aircraft Overruns.” Currently, Runway Safe has two EMAS systems, the cellular concrete block system called EMASMAX® and a silica foam system called greenEMAS®.

The FAA reviews and accepts each EMAS proposal prior to installation.

EMASMAX® is the latest, most durable version of Runway Safe’s block based EMAS, developed with and technically accepted by the FAA. EMASMAX® arrestor beds are composed of blocks of lightweight, crushable cellular cement material.

Runway Safe’s greenEMAS® is a foamed silica bed which is made from recycled glass and is contained within a high-strength plastic mesh system anchored to the pavement. The foamed silica is poured into lanes bounded by the mesh and covered with a poured cement layer and treated with a topcoat of sealant. 

Both EMAS products are located at the end of the runway and are typically the full width of the runway. The bed length and offset from the end of the runway depends on the airport configuration and the aircraft fleet using the airport.

Current FAA Initiatives

The FAA's Office of Airports has helped facilitate RSA improvements at more than 500 commercial service airports. This means that all practicable improvements, including the use of EMAS technology, have been made at approximately 1,000 runway ends at these airports. These RSAs have been improved to full standards or to the extent practicable including the relocation of FAA-owned navigational equipment. As a result of the success in addressing commercial service airport RSA’s, the Office of Airports has started a similar strategy to improve General Aviation RSA’s across the country.

EMAS Arrestments

To date, EMAS safely stopped 22 overrunning aircraft, carrying 432 crew and passengers aboard those flights.

EMAS Arrestments
Date Crew and Passengers Incident
May 1999 30 A Saab 340 commuter aircraft overran the runway at John F Kennedy (JFK) International Airport in Jamaica (New York City), New York
May 2003 3 A Gemini Cargo MD-11 overran the runway at JFK International Airport in Jamaica (New York City), New York
January 2005 3 A Boeing 747 overran the runway at JFK International Airport in Jamaica (New York City), New York
July 2006 5 A Mystere Falcon 900 overran the runway at Greenville Downtown Airport (GMU) in Greenville, South Carolina
July 2008 145 An Airbus A320 overran the runway at Chicago O'Hare Airport (ORD) in Chicago, Illinois
January 2010 34 A Bombardier CRJ-200 regional jet overran the runway at Yeager Airport (CRW) in Charleston, West Virginia
October 2010 10 A G-4 Gulfstream overran the runway at Teterboro Airport (TEB) in Teterboro, New Jersey
November 2011 5 A Cessna Citation II overran the runway at Key West International Airport (EYW) in Key West, Florida
October 2013 8 A Cessna 680 Citation overran the runway at Palm Beach International Airport (PBI) in West Palm Beach, Florida
January 2016 2 A Falcon 20 overran the runway at Chicago Executive Airport (PWK) in Wheeling, Illinois
October 2016 37 A Boeing 737 overran the runway at LaGuardia Airport (LGA) in Flushing (New York City), New York
April 2017 2 A Cessna 750 Citation overran the runway at Bob Hope Airport (BUR) in Burbank, California
February 2018 4 A Beech Jet 400A overran the runway at Burke Lakefront Airport (BKL) in Cleveland, Ohio
December 2018 117 A Boeing 737 overran the runway at Bob Hope Airport (BUR) in Burbank, California
February 2019 1 An Embraer Phenom 100 overran the runway in Kansas City Airport (MCI) in Kansas City, Missouri
February 2021 2 A Dassault F900 overran the runway at Chicago Executive-Wheeling Airport (PWK) in Chicago, Illinois
July 2021 9 A Cessna Citation Excel overran the runway at Reading Regional Airport (RDG) in Reading, Pennsylvania
September 2021 2 An Aero Vodochody F-13 overran the runway at Witham Field Airport (SUA) in Stuart, Florida
March 2022 2 A Cessna 650 overran the runway at Key West International Airport (EYW) in Key West, Florida
April 2023 7 A Cessna 402C overran the runway at Fort Lauderdale International Airport (FLL) in Fort Lauderdale, Florida
October 2023 2 A Beechcraft BE30 overran the runway at DeKalb-Peachtree Airport (PDK) in Atlanta, Georgia
July 2024 2 A Hawker 900XP overran the runway at Telluride Regional Airport (TEX) in Telluride, Colorado

EMAS Installations with EMASMAX®

EMASMAX® is installed at 121 runway ends at 71 airports in the United States.

EMAS Installations
Airport Location # of Systems Installation Date(s)
JFK International (JFK) Jamaica (New York City), NY 2 1996(1999)/2007 (2014)
Minneapolis St. Paul (MSP) Minneapolis, MN 1 1999(2008)
Little Rock (LIT) Little Rock, AR 2 2000/2003 (2018)
Rochester International (RST) Rochester, NY 1 2001
Burbank (BUR) Burbank, CA 1 2002(2017)
Baton Rouge Metropolitan (BTR) Baton Rouge, LA 1 2002
Greater Binghamton (BGM) Binghamton, NY 2 2002 (2012)/2009 (2024)***
Greenville Downtown (GMU) Greenville, SC 1 2003 (2010)*
Cape Cod Gateway (HYA) Hyannis, MA 1 2003 (2023)
Roanoke Regional (ROA) Roanoke, VA 1 2004 (2024)
Fort Lauderdale International (FLL) Fort Lauderdale, FL 4 2004 (2019)/ 2014
LaGuardia (LGA) Flushing (New York City), NY 4 2005 (2014)/2015
Boston Logan (BOS) Boston, MA 2 2005 (2012)/2006 (2014)
Laredo International (LRD) Laredo, TX 1 2006 (2012)
San Diego International (SAN) San Diego, CA 1 2006
Teterboro (TEB)  Teterboro, NJ 3 2006/2011/2013
Merle K (Mudhole) Smith (CDV) Cordova, AK 1 2007
Charleston Yeager (CRW) Charleston, WV 1 2007 (2019)
Manchester (MHT) Manchester, NH 1 2007
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Intl.(AVP) Wilkes-Barre, PA 2 2008
San Luis Obispo (SBP) San Luis Obispo, CA 2 2008
Chicago-O'Hare (ORD) Chicago, IL 2 2008
Newark Liberty International (EWR) Newark, NJ 2 2008/2015
Charlotte Douglas International (CLT) Charlotte, NC 1 2008
St. Paul Downtown (STP) St. Paul, MN 2 2008
Worcester Regional (ORH) Worcester, MA 2 2008 (2024)/2009
Reading, Regional (RDG) Reading, PA 1 2009
Kansas City Downtown (MKC) Kansas City, MO 2 2009/2010
Smith Reynolds (INT) Winston-Salem, NC 1 2010
New Castle County (ILG) Wilmington, DE 1 2010
Key West International (EYW) Key West, FL 2 2010/2015
Arcata-Eureka (ACV) Arcata, CA 1 2010
Telluride Regional (TEX) Telluride, CO 2 2010
Palm Beach (PBI) Palm Beach, FL 1 2011
Republic (FRG) Farmingdale, NY 2 2011/2013
Martin County (SUT) Stuart, FL 2 2011
Lafayette (LFT) Lafayette, LA 3 2011/2013/2016
Cleveland Hopkins (CRE) Cleveland, OH 2 2011
Groton-New London (GON) Groton, CT 2 2011
Augusta State (AUG) Augusta, ME 2 2011
Elmira-Corning (ELM) Elmira, NY 1 2012
Trenton-Mercer (TTN) Trenton, NJ 4 2012/2013
New Bern (EWN) New Bern, NC 1 2012
Memphis (MEM) Memphis, TN 1 2013
Burke Lakefront (BLK) Cleveland, OH 1 2013
San Francisco (SFO) San Francisco, CA 4 2014
T.F. Green (PVD) Providence, RI 3 2014/2015/2017
Addison (ADS) Addison, TX 1 2014
Chicago Executive (PWK) Wheeling, IL 2 2014/2015
Reagan National (DCA) Washington, DC 3 2014/2015
Monterey (MRY) Monterey, CA 2 2015
Oakland International (OAK) Oakland, CA 1 2015
Nome (OME) Nome, AK 1 2015
Lehigh Valley (ABE) Allentown, PA 2 2015
John Tune (JWN) Nashville, TN 1 2015
Kodiak (ADQ) Kodiak, AK 2 2015
Rutland (RUT) Rutland, VT 1 2015
Sikorsky (BDR) Bridgeport, CT 1 2015
McAllen International (MFE) McAllen, TX 1 2015
Sandiford (SDF) Louisville, KY 1 2015
Venice (VNC) Venice, FL 1 2016
Boca Raton (BCT) Boca Raton, FL 2 2017
DeKalb/Peachtree (PDK) Atlanta, GA 1 2018
Cuyahoga (CFG) Cleveland, OH 2 2018
Lafayette (LFT) Lafayette, LA 1 2018
Little Rock (LIT) Little Rock, AR 1 2018
Waterbury-Oxford (OXC) Oxford, CT 1 2018*
Hilton Head (HXH) Hilton Head, SC 2 2018
Cartersville (VPC) Cartersville, GA 2 2021/2023
Blue Grass (LEX) Lexington, KY 2 2022/2023
( ) Date of EMAS bed expansion, retrofit, or replacement
* General aviation runway

EMAS Installations Using greenEMAS®

greenEMAS® is installed at four (4) runway ends at one airport in the United States.

EMAS Installations Using Runway Safe EMAS
Airport Location # of Systems Installation Date(s)
Chicago Midway (MDW) Chicago, IL 4 2014/2015/2016