CASE STUDY: PSA AIRLINES FLIGHT 2495 As has been shown throughout this book, the safety value chain that protects commercial aviation against accidents and serious incidents is long and has been developed over a century of effort. It extends from the design of aircraft and airports all the way to the training of frontline personnel, such as air traffic controllers and pilots. The elements of the safety value chain work well together, and sometimes one protection will kick in when another one fails. The case study contained in this section is a perfect example. PSA Airlines Flight 2495 illustrates how the conscientious actions that airports take to improve safety can truly be lifesavers when safety breaks down in other areas. On January 19, 2010, a PSA Airlines Bombardier CRJ 200 jet was scheduled to depart from Yeager Airport in Charleston, West Virginia for Charlotte, North Carolina. Everything leading up to the takeoff on Runway 23 seemed normal. However, when the pilots reached the 80 knot callout, the captain realized that the flaps were not configured properly on the plane. He tried to correct the settings of the flaps, but this prompted an airplane warning. As a result, the captain decided to abort the takeoff. The plane was unable to stop within the runway confines and was forcibly stopped 130 feet into the 455-foot-long Engineered Materials Arrestor System (EMAS). EMAS is a safety measure used in locations where there is not enough space to have a standard 1,000 foot overrun for aircraft. It is made of crushable concrete that collapses under the weight of the plane, thus stopping the aircraft's motion to prevent a crash or running off the runway. Figure 9-7 shows the PSA Airlines plane shortly after being stopped by the EMAS area at Yeager Airport. < 343 / 534