United Express Flight Overruns Runway, Stops Safely in EMAS System

The Approach

On September 24, 2025, CommuteAir, operating as United Express Flight 4339, flew from Washington Dulles International Airport to Roanoke-Blacksburg Regional Airport in Virginia. The aircraft was an Embraer EMB-145XR registered N21129, with 53 people aboard: three crew members and 50 passengers.

Weather and Runway Conditions

The flight crew had dealt with a long operating day and maintenance-related delays before departure. During the flight, the crew reviewed weather information for Roanoke. The preliminary investigation records that the crew initially briefed an approach to Runway 6, but later changed to Runway 34 after updated information indicated precipitation and a change in the active runway.

Landing on Runway 34

The approach to Runway 34 took place in worsening conditions. The preliminary record describes rain near the airport and a wet runway. The first officer had raised the question of wet-runway landing performance before the approach. Later, the crew calculated landing performance using a runway-condition-code value of 5. The aircraft continued toward Runway 34.

Runway Excursion

At 21:17 local time, the Embraer landed on Runway 34 and overran the end of the runway. Instead of continuing beyond the airport environment, the aircraft entered the engineered materials arresting system, commonly called EMAS. The arresting material brought the aircraft to a stop.

Outcome

There were no injuries among the 50 passengers and three crew members. The NTSB preliminary report states that the airplane sustained no damage. The event was significant because the runway excursion ended within an engineered safety area designed specifically to arrest an aircraft that passes beyond the available paved surface.

Investigation Status

The preliminary report does not establish a final probable cause. The operational record is therefore more useful for reconstructing the sequence than for assigning blame. The crew faced changing weather information, a runway change and wet-surface considerations before the landing. The aircraft then overran the runway but was stopped by EMAS.

Why EMAS Matters

An EMAS installation is not a substitute for stopping an aircraft on the runway. It is an additional layer of protection when a runway excursion occurs. In this case, the system provided that final layer after the aircraft passed the runway end. The outcome—53 people uninjured and an aircraft reported undamaged—shows the value of having an engineered arresting area beyond the runway.

Accident Facts

Recorded line: “came to rest in the engineered materials arresting system (EMAS).”

Sources

https://thomaspturner.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/2025.0924-EMB145XR-VA.pdf

https://thomaspturner.com/flying-lessons-weekly/flying-lessons-for-october-23-2025/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=norQ9pv15eA