Abstract:

Engineered Material Arresting System (EMAS) is a specially designed surface that is installed at the end of certain runways that do not possess sufficient surrounding space to support the desired runway safety area (RSA). EMAS is designed to reduce the extent and associated risks of a runway excursion by arresting an aircraft that experiences an overrun excursion during a landing or an aborted takeoff. Of the 115 EMAS beds installed at 67 airports in the United States, there have been 18 incidents where EMAS has safely stopped overrunning aircraft, carrying 419 crew and passengers. Despite its proven effectiveness, there is evidence that test subjects occasionally avoid EMAS beds. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Airport Technology Research and Development Branch’s Safety Section (ATR) conducted two research projects in 2013 and 2016 to identify conceptual EMAS signage that would inform a test subject about the presence of EMAS during normal operations and an overrun excursion. Subsequent ATR research had two objectives: gain test subject input about the location of EMAS signs that best inform a test subject about the presence of EMAS on a runway and evaluate the effectiveness of these signs during an overrun excursion. Project plans to conduct this research during a year-long study at operational airports was considered too costly. The Office of Airport Safety and Standards recommended the use of flight simulators due in part to their ability to simulate a runway overrun excursion within a controlled laboratory setting.

FedEx and FlightSafety International (FSI) agreed to host these simulations, provide test subjects, develop high-fidelity simulation scenarios, conduct the simulations, and collect data. Actual flight simulation exercises at FSI began in February 2022. A total of 11 test subjects completed the simulations and submitted data by March 7, 2022. Simulations at FedEx are not expected to begin until April 2022. Although the 11 data sets indicated some trends among the test subjects, more data is needed to make any significant conclusions regarding the effectiveness of EMAS. It is recommended that simulations continue until there are at least 100 data sets each from FSI and FedEx.