Disaster Averted as EMAS Once Again Saves Lives
& Equipment at JFK
At approximately 3:25 pm on the afternoon of January 22, 2005, a Boeing 747 cargo plane overran runway 04R at JFK International Airport, NY and was safely stopped by the Engineered Material Arresting System (EMAS). There were no reported injuries to the crew or damage to the aircraft. A thorough check on the aircraft was conducted and it was scheduled to return to service on January 27.
The aircraft had an estimated weight of just over 600,000 lbs. Details are still limited at the moment, as no official announcement has been made by the FAA or NTSB regarding the incident. However, early indications show that the combination of adverse weather and reduced thrust reverser capability may have played a role in the incident.
Fortunately, the plane was stopped by the EMAS 300 feet into the arrestor bed and about 200 feet from Thurston Bay. This marks the 3rd instance in which an EMAS has saved an aircraft in an overrun emergency.
There are now 15 EMAS installations throughout the U.S with several more in the planning and design stage. With the FAA’s recent full acceptance of EMAS as an equivalent to a standard safety area, more airports can now further enhance airport safety with the technology.
Just to stir the pot (-: