Runway Overruns

The frequency of runway overruns such as Air France at Toronto recently has been underestimated (see ASW, Aug. 8). In the September issue of IFALPA News, the publication of the International Federation of Air Line Pilots Associations, David Haase and Gideon Ewers write:

"Since 1990, there have been no less than 807 overruns resulting in significant airframe damage. That's an average of just over four per month. The unfortunate fact is that in a number of these cases there have been fatalities which, had an adequate overrun or an EMAS [engineered materials arresting system] been installed, may not have happened."