U.S. Runways Lack Overrun Zone

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Midway Overrun - 2005. Cop quote: "SOMEBODY'S gettin' this ticket!"


Over 50% of U.S. airports don't have a 1,000-foot safety zone at the end of all runways, a new report says.

My garage doesn't have one, either. Right, Muffy Snookums? Yes, yes, you're a dear, and when I married you, I knew that manual dexterity was not your Olympic event. But the brake, dear, the brake has its own friggin' pedal, doesn't it?!

Anyway.

Los Angeles, Chicago's O'Hare and Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport have more than one runway that doesn't meet safety standards, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.

OK, let's see. World-airport-codes.com lists Hartsfield's runway length as 11,889 feet. Wikipedia lists O'Hare's as 13,000 feet. It also lists typical runout requirements for commercial planes as 6,000 feet for most; 8,000 feet for widebodies and heavier planes; and 10,000 feet for international widebodies with 13,000 feet for takeoff. Slightly longer lengths for high altitude airports, like Denver.

So, they wanna add 1,000 feet to the runways? Atlanta's would then be almost 13,000 feet long. For airplanes which need 6,000 feet.

Tell me we aren't gonna land from both ends at the same time!

(Pause. Take a breath. OK.)

Hasty Rumination readers are STRONGLY encouraged to pick runways WITH overrun zones when they fly.

It’s a policy we can LIVE with!

A public service announcement from this blog.