BOCA RATON, FLA. (WSVN) - A small jet going too fast on a runway narrowly avoids disaster thanks to a special safety feature.
Shocking video captured a close call on a runway in Boca Raton after a business jet overshot its landing upon its return from Las Vegas.
The video shows the Canadian Bombardier Challenger 300 go beyond the runway, before coming to a complete stop within eyesight of a busy road, thanks to Engineered Material Arresting System, a lightweight, crushable concrete.
Aviation analyst John Nance spoke on how the system did exactly as intended in this specific situation.
“What saved the day here is a remarkable system that is being employed in many different airports around the world now, it’s called an Engineered Material Arresting System and basically it’s a field full of very lightweight bricks, if you will,” said Nance. “They can take an airplane’s landing gear and slow it down in a very short period of time.”
In images of the aftermath, the damaged plane can be seen collapsed on its landing gears within the bed of light weight, crushable materials.
According to the Federal Aviation Administration, all four passengers onboard walked away without serious injuries.
“It’s very obvious that the jet aircraft was still traveling at a pretty good rate of speed,” said Nance. “It would have gone right past the end of that runway and probably ended up in the middle of the freeway with potentially catastrophic results.”
The FAA says there are currently 122 EMAS systems implemented at 70 airports across the United States, including Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport.
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