US FAA Funds System to Prevent Accidents Involving Runaway Airplanes

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: US News and World Report/Reuters

Aug. 26, 2025, at 3:28 p.m.


PHILADELPHIA (Reuters) -The Federal Aviation Administration on Tuesday touted the reopening of a runway at Philadelphia International Airport through the installation of a system to stop a runaway airplane.

The FAA awarded $8.5 million last year for the airport's first Engineered Material Arresting System, which is a series of 2,000 tiles designed to stop an overrunning aircraft traveling at speeds of up to 70 knots. The system uses crushable material installed, which is compressed by the airplane's landing gear.

"This process in essence, it decelerates and safety stops the aircraft," Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker said at a press event on Tuesday.

There are 117 systems installed at over 60 airports in the United States and are used in places where there is limited excess land beyond runways. Philadelphia is the 21st busiest U.S. airport handling 31 million passengers last year with American Airlines accounting for about two-thirds of traffic.

Read more: https://www.usnews.com/news/top-news/articles/2025-08-26/us-faa-funds-system-to-prevent-accidents-involving-runaway-airplanes

---

I did hear about this on the radio yesterday afternoon.

[Hugin]

1. I wonder how often such systems are used...

There used to be similar systems on mountainous highways to catch runaway semis. They used deep pea gravel and a steep slope. It’s been years since I saw one of those.

The one time I saw one used the truck went right up over the top. It did slow the truck enough that the onions (and driver) were saved.

[BumRushDaShow]

2. This report was about one of the lesser used runways here in Philly (due to the not having enough space to expand)

Overrunning could land the plane in the river!