EMAS

[John Marsh]

The recent excursion at LBA started me thinking about EMAS and its value at more challenging airports. I understand from the discussion on the Accidents & Close Calls forum that LBA fits this category.

Does the CAA assess the potential safety benefits of EMAS at all (or any) UK airports?

Whilst EMAS has been developed as an overrun damage reduction measure, I wonder if it could also mitigate the hazards of lateral excursions. It works at the ends of runways; why not also alongside?

[DaveReidUK]

EMAS would have made zero difference in the LBA incident.

[dixi188]

If you have EMAS at the side of the runway, then if an aircraft hit it at any significant speed it would ground loop, probably causing more damage than running onto the grass/mud.

[DaveReidUK]

Apart from which, it would be colossally expensive to install EMAS, even a narrow strip, along both sides of the entire length of a runway.

[Flap40]

The only place in Europe that I can remember seeing EMAS is Kristiansand in Norway. In the UK, Jersey (Rwy 26) and Southhampton (Rwy 20) have gravel arrestor beds which do a similar job.

[Musket90]

London City now has EMAS at each end, also I believe Northolt although not sure if it is the same design as City.