The Department of Aviation has completed the installation of the Engineered Material Arresting System on Runway 8-26 at the Philadelphia International Airport (PHL), making it the city’s first. The EMAS has been installed as a safety net to prevent accidents.
What is EMAS?
EMAS, or Engineered Material Arresting System, is a safety feature which is installed at the end of runways to stop overrun aircraft. It is built to stop an aircraft travelling at up to 80 miles per hour. The Airport Engineering Assistant Manager, Lee Sutanto, said:
“The recent placement of the EMAS bed on the runway is a planned safety enhancement. It’s a proven system used at airports around the country to enhance safety for passengers and crews.”
In addition to this, the safety feature is a product of research of the Federal Aviation Authority (FAA) alongside the University of Dayton, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey and the Engineered Arresting Systems Corporation.
Six years later, EMAS was built at John F.Kennedy (JFK) International Airport. There are over 117 EMAS systems installed at 60 Airports in the United States to date.
The FAA and installation
According to the FAA Advisory Circular, EMAS is only effective for incidents involving aircraft of less than 11,000 Kilograms and has also advised pilots to maintain directional control of the aircraft and roll straight into it. FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford said:
” At the FAA, safety is always our top priority. To date, EMAS has safely stopped more than 20 overrunning aircraft carrying over 430 crew and passengers. It is one more tool that helps us keep travellers, crews and aircraft safe – and we’re glad to see it in place here. Thanks again to the Philadelphia International Airport team, our industry partners, and everyone else who helped make this project a reality.”
In addition to this, Runway 8-26 is situated on the east side of PHL and operates as a commuter runway. It was initially built to separate commuter traffic activity from larger aircraft activity.
Runway 26 provides a precision instrument approach in low-visibility conditions and is equipped with high-intensity runway lights, centerline lighting and Medium Intensity Approach Lighting System with Runway Alignment Indicating Lights.
What do you think about this EMAS installation at the Philadelphia International Airport? Let us know in the comments below!
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