South Korean air disaster casts scrutiny on concrete runway embankment

Najmedin Meshkati, a professor in civil engineering at the University of Southern California, said the use of concrete rather than a metal tower or pylon installation was unusual and may have contributed to the high number of fatalities. This rigid structure proved catastrophic when the skidding aircraft made an impact, Meshkati told Al Jazeera. Undoubtedly, had the aircraft instead encountered the airport wall, which would have provided less resistance, the survival rate might have been higher.

Hassan Shahidi, president and CEO of the Flight Safety Foundation, said that while he would not speculate on whether the embankment was badly designed or positioned, structures at the end of runways should be built to break easily on impact, reducing the risk of catastrophic failures. He emphasized the need for re-evaluation of safety regulations for runway infrastructure to prevent future tragedies.

Read at www.aljazeera.com