The Many Factors That Lead to Runway Overruns

Stabilized approaches are critical to mitigating the risks.

Meg Godlewski

Monday, January 02, 2023 at 02:08 PM ET

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2011 aircraft excursion at Munich International. [Credit: German Federal Bureau of Aircraft Accident Investigation]

Key Takeaways:

Runway overruns are a significant aviation safety concern, with unstabilized approaches identified as the leading causal factor.
Thorough preflight planning is crucial, requiring pilots to understand aircraft performance and environmental impacts (e.g., wet runways, tailwinds) to mitigate risks.
Pilots must adhere to stabilized approach criteria, maintaining a constant glidepath and optimum airspeed, to ensure a safe landing.
If an approach becomes unstabilized, pilots are advised to initiate a go-around rather than attempting to salvage the landing.

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On the evening of December 27, 2022, a Embraer EMB-505 Phenom 300 skidded off the runway at Jack Thorp /Hawthorne Municipal Airport (KHHR). There were no injuries to the seven persons on board.

The local television crews captured video of the aircraft off the end of the 4,884-foot by 100-foot runway, noting “It traveled all the way to the end of the runway before sliding off, possibly due to the wet tarmac.” The airplane traveled through the airport perimeter fence before coming to rest on what appeared to be a street.