“Pretty Amazing Technology”: Safety System Prevents Plane from Rolling onto Busy Road after Hard Landing in Roanoke
By Leila Mitchell | Published September 25, 2025, 4:40 PM EDT
ROANOKE, Va. (WDBJ) – A United Airlines flight carrying 53 passengers experienced a harrowing incident Wednesday night when the plane went off the runway at Roanoke-Blacksburg Regional Airport after a hard and late landing. Thanks to a critical safety system installed at the airport, disaster was averted, and all passengers remained safe despite the frightening event.
According to state troopers, the situation could have been far worse if not for the airport’s investment in an advanced safety technology known as the Engineered Materials Arrestor System (EMAS). This system is designed specifically for airports with shorter runways, acting as a fail-safe to stop planes that overrun the runway.
Steve Harrison, a passenger on board, described the landing as sudden and severe. “It suddenly went down at a very hard and very late landing,” he said. Fellow passenger Debra Tatar echoed his sentiments, remarking on the strength of the safety measures. “I’ve never felt plane brakes go on so strongly before,” she recalled.
The EMAS is a bed of specially engineered crushable concrete blocks that safely decelerate and halt an aircraft in the event of a runway overrun. On this occasion, the plane rolled into the EMAS installed at the end of the runway rather than continuing onto the adjacent Peter’s Creek Road, a busy thoroughfare just beyond the airport boundary.
According to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), this is not the first time EMAS has successfully stopped aircraft; to date, 25 planes have been halted by the system. Alexa Briehl, spokeswoman for Roanoke-Blacksburg Regional Airport, praised the technology for performing flawlessly during the incident.
“We’re incredibly grateful that technology performed as it should have, incredibly grateful there’s no injuries and for the fast response of all of our first responders,” Briehl said. “It did what it was supposed to do. The technology is pretty amazing when you think about it.”
Virginia State Police are collaborating with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) to investigate the cause of the overrun. Veteran commercial pilot Robert Katz, with over 40 years of experience, provided some insight into possible contributing factors.
“Initially, the plane approached runway 24, the longer runway at Roanoke, but it maneuvered to the crosswind runway, which is about 1,000 feet shorter and exposes the airplane to direct crosswinds,” Katz explained. “Why that happened, I don’t know.”
Airport officials highlighted that their recent multimillion-dollar investment to upgrade EMAS last spring was made with such close calls in mind. The system’s presence provides an additional layer of protection for passengers when landing challenges arise.
Following the incident, crews successfully towed the plane off the EMAS system on Thursday morning. The airport is advising travelers that some delays are possible as normal operations resume. Passengers who left belongings on the aircraft have been instructed to contact airport authorities for retrieval.
This event underscores the critical importance of airport safety investments and advanced technology in protecting air travelers from potentially disastrous runway incidents.
Additional Information for Travelers:
- One runway at Roanoke-Blacksburg Regional Airport has reopened following the incident but travelers are encouraged to check with airlines for possible delays.
- Bags or personal items left on the plane can be retrieved by contacting the airport office.
- Virginia State Police and NTSB investigations are ongoing to determine the exact cause of the landing mishap.
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