Ohio Environmental Protection Agency
Last night at the Green Public Library the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency held it’s public hearing for the Airport’s upcoming Wetland’s Mitigation project. The project is preparatory to the Runway Safety Area Improvements and the 600-foot extension. It’s hard to explain to people what we’re doing. While everyone understands what a runway extension is, most people are unaware (which is understandable) what a runway safety area is.
A runway safety area or RSA is a surface that extends 1,000 feet beyond the end of a runway’s ending point. The surface may be paved or unpaved but essentially must be hard and flat so that if a plane lands long and overshoots the runway, it can roll out safely on this hard ground without damage to the aircraft or to passengers and crew.
These RSA’s are the subject on a National FAA Mandate requiring all airports to make upgrades to these standards. The recent Southwest Airlines accident at Chicago’s Midway Airport is an example of the need for these 1,000-foot safety zones beyond the runways end. If these zones existed the unfortunate incident would not have happened. At Akron-Canton Airport we have already made these improvements on 3 of our 4 runway ends. The current project, the most elaborate and expensive, will put us in great shape and make a very safe airport an even safer one. It’s one of the ways we keep building the airport for the future. In the business we jokingly say the definition of an airport is “a construction site where airplanes land and take off.” Well, it should be if we are doing our jobs!
Comments
add a commentKevin: 06/02/2006 02:10 PM
what about the use of EMAS?
Pete: 04/28/2006 11:49 AM
From a financial and architectural point of view, isn't an RSA at the NE end of Rwy 5-23 impractical?
