Last month, the FAA approved a $500,000 grant for preliminary engineering work on installing safety barriers at the end of Teterboro (N.J.) Airport’s Runway 1, which ends 300 feet from a multilane commuter highway. The grant comes as a direct result of the February 2 accident in which a Challenger overran the runway following an aborted takeoff, crossed the highway (seriously injuring a motorist) and crashed into a warehouse.
After the study, any funds left over from the grant will go toward installing barriers if the decision is made to go forward with the improvement, according to a spokesman for the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which operates TEB. The Port Authority is considering either installing arrestor beds made of soft concrete that crush under the weight of an aircraft to slow it down or displacing the active portion of the runway to the south to create a longer overrun buffer.
The injured motorist is seeking $12.5 million in damages from the Port Authority of New York & New Jersey, reportedly arguing that safety barriers could have stopped the Challenger. The Port Authority has installed safety barriers at New York La Guardia Airport and JFK Internationa