MIA doesn’t have EMAS. What is it? Could it have prevented plane crash deaths?

In the aftermath of a cargo plane crash that led to five deaths at Miami International Airport on Sunday, some people have been wondering why MIA does not have a runway safety feature known as an engineered materials arresting system — a crushable, lightweight material at the end of a runway that can slow down a plane in case of emergency. Jennifer Homendy, chairwoman of the National Transportation Safety Board, said in a press briefing Monday that 72 U.S. airports have EMAS, another level of runway safety. Miami International Airport isn’t included in that number. The Federal Aviation Administration says EMAS has stopped 26 aircraft that have overrun runways since 1999. Most airports install EMAS when they can’t meet runway safety area standards of 250 feet on each side of the runway’s center and 1,000 feet from the end of the runway.

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