Some airports plan to install crushable concrete at the end of their runway(s), allowing planes that overshoot their landings or abort their takeoffs to squish to a stop before slamming into a fence, wall, railroad embankment, call it.
Fourteen airports in the USA already use "Arrestor Beds" to protect planes from roads, ravines and rivers.
FAA requires commercial airports to leave 1,000 feet of soft ground after the end of every runway.
Here is how such an Arrestor Bed looks like.
An Arrestor Bed system is installed at New York*'s John F. Kennedy International Airport, and it has saved three aircraft.
In January 2005 a Polar Air B747 cargo jet landed on an icy runway, slid off the end and was stopped by the system with minimal damage to the aircraft and no injury to the crew or anybody on the ground.
In 2003 the arrestor stopped an MD-11.
In May of 1999 the same arrestor bed stopped a Saab 340.
The American Eagle arriving in fog and light rain, landed long on runway 4Right. It landed just 1,500 ft. from the end of the runway. The aircraft
stopped 248 feet into the 400-foot long arrestor bed.
All 30 onboard walked off the aircraft.
Damage to the aircraft was minimal -- one bent prop and a couple of blown tires. All landing gear remained intact.
In all cases the airplanes were pulled backward onto the runway and quickly repaired. The runway was immediately reopened. Subsequent repairs to the arrestor bed took about 12 days to accomplish.
*And also at La Guardia.
btw, sloped ruinways and taxiways, is also not a totally stupid idea
Rolling out up slope always delays the aircraft, and saves brakes....
