What is EMAS? Some US airports equipped with way to stop planes that veer off runway

The crash involving the Amazon cargo jet that killed five people Sunday is raising questions about Miami International Airport not being equipped with a safety system meant to prevent planes from going off the runway. The Engineering Material Arresting System is designed to stop planes that veer off or overrun the runway. Last year, shocking video from the Boca Raton Airport showed how EMAS works. A midsize business jet overran the runway in September 2025, but then it came to a complete stop without crashing into cars on a nearby road. None of the four people aboard the plane were hurt. 'If an aircraft were to overrun the runway, the tires would sink into the crushable lightweight material, causing the aircraft to slow down and safely come to a stop,' an explainer video from the Federal Aviation Administration said. According to the FAA, to date there have been 26 examples of EMAS saving nearly 500 crew members and passengers at U.S. airports. 'Now, it'll cause damage to the airplane almost invariably, but that is better than the airplane leaving the airport,' Texas-based aviation attorney Mike Slack said. EMAS can be found at six Florida airports, but it's not installed at Orlando and Miami international airports. 'Orlando has more generous real estate around the runways than what you have in Miami,' said Slack. Slack is a licensed pilot who is certified in aviation law. He explained that in addition to determining what caused the Amazon cargo plane crash, the National Transportation Safety Board will make safety recommendations at the conclusion of its complex investigation. 'Anytime you have a tightly confined airport like this, one of the things that the airport authority needs to consider is, do we need to have runway-arresting devices that prevent overruns into the surrounding infrastructure around the airport?' Slack said.