No Injuries As Regional Jet Saved By Overrun Material At Runway End

A US Airways regional jet had to abort a takeoff at Yeager Airport in Charleston, West Virgina Tuesday, but it was prevented from going over the edge at the mountaintop airport by a lightweight concrete material designed for that purpose.

Brian Belcher, a spokesperson for Yeager Airport, said there were no injuries among the 30 passengers on board the aircraft bound for Charlotte, NC. The airport was closed while the airplane was cleared from the overrun area.

Belcher told the Associated Press the engineered materials arresting system (EMAS) performed as designed. It was installed about a year ago as a safety measure at the airport.

This is the second airliner this year that has been saved by the overrun material. Another US Airways flight overran the runway on January 19th, and wound up in the EMAS. The NTSB preliminary report indicates that PSA Airlines d.b.a. US Airways Express flight 2495, a Bombardier CRJ-200, registration N246PS, rejected the takeoff and ran off the end of the runway at Yeager Airport, Charleston, West Virginia. The airplane stopped in the engineered materials arresting system (EMAS). There were no injuries to the 30 passengers or 3 crew members onboard and the airplane received minor damage. That incident is still under investigation.

FMI: www.ntsb.gov