Emergency Recovery Equipment
Emergency recovery equipment is installed at naval airfields to provide a means of
bringing tailhook-equipped aircraft to a safe stop whenever normal landing procedures
cannot be used.
Emergency recovery equipment may be used for an aircraft that has a blown tire or has
a partial failure of its hydraulic system. The results of hydraulic system failure could be a
possible loss of brakes and, quite frequently, the inability of the aircraft to lower part or
all of its landing gear.
The ATCF manual for your station will have a detailed diagram and explanation of terms
for the gear used at your facility.
E-5 Emergency Chain-Type Arresting Gear
The chain gear is mostly used as an overrun backup arresting system. The E-5 chain-
type emergency arresting gear uses the principle of dragging weight behind an aircraft
to stop it. In this instance, the weight is a chain that has been positioned on the runway
parallel to and approximately 1 foot inboard from the edges. Two cross-deck pendants
(cables stretched across the runway) attached to the ends of the chain permit the
aircraft to be arrested. The tailhook catches the cross-deck pendant and drags the chain
until the aircraft comes to a stop.
E-28 Emergency Runway Arresting Gear
The E-28 runway arresting gear is a rotary hydraulic system. It is fast and efficient and
needs little maintenance. It can arrest hook-equipped aircraft in all types of landings.
The simplicity of the gear's structure and its high reliability make it a superior system.
The cycle time for reuse is approximately 80 seconds.
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