A CommuteAir-operated regional jet overran the runway at Roanoke-Blacksburg Regional airport on 24 September and was stopped by a runway arrestor system, the latest example of those systems preventing more-severe accidents.
The Embraer ERJ-145 carrying 50 passengers and three crew “landed long” at about 22:00 local time, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.
Heavy rain reportedly factored in the twinjet’s inability to stop before rolling off the runway.
Images shared on social media show deep gouges made by the ERJ-145’s wheels in the ”engineered material arrestor system” (EMAS) beyond the runway.
EMAS infrastructure is made of concrete material that crushes underneath aircraft wheels. It is placed at the ends of some runways to prevent more-serious accidents.
Passengers aboard CommuteAir flight 4339 from Washington Dulles International airport deplaned by portable stairs and took a bus to the terminal at Roanoke-Blacksburg Regional, according to the FAA.
The USA’s civil aviation regulator says it is investigating CommuteAir’s runway overrun.
CommuteAir is a regional feeder that operates under the United Express brand on behalf of United Airlines.
Earlier this month, a pair of business jets were stopped by EMAS at separate US airports on the same day. The first incident involved a Bombardier Challenger 300 operated by Jet Linx landing at Boca Raton airport in Florida.
The other incident occurred at Chicago Executive airport, involving a Gulfstream G150 operated by Priester Aviation.
No passengers or pilots were injured during those runway overruns, but FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford said the incidents ”clearly demonstrate the lifesaving value of EMAS technology”.
“These two systems did exactly what they’re designed to do – stop aircraft safely when they go off the runway,” he said. ”This technology is making a real difference in preventing serious accidents.”
