Could an FAA-approved safety feature prevent the Amazon cargo plane crash at MIA? Experts weigh in.

A 767 cargo plane overshot a runway at Miami International Airport, sliding 1,300 feet past the pavement before crashing through a perimeter fence, crossing Northwest 67th Avenue and crushing vehicles. The plane came to a stop and burst into flames after the overrun.

The incident has highlighted the role of Engineered Materials Arresting Systems (EMAS), a safety feature used at more than 70 U.S. airports, according to the Federal Aviation Administration. EMAS consists of light, crushable material at the end of a runway that allows an aircraft's tires to sink in, slowing the plane down and bringing it to a safe stop if it overruns the pavement.

"If there's not 1,000 feet of overrun, then they put these EMAS systems in to be able to absorb the inertia of the aircraft and stop the aircraft," said Anthony Temperino, a pilot and operations director at Capital Jets Fort Lauderdale Charter and Aircraft Management.

At Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, which is located in close proximity to I-95, Temperino noted that EMAS provides essential "added security."

Miami International Airport, however, does not utilize EMAS. In a statement released late Sunday afternoon, the airport clarified that its runway 12/30 maintains the full 1,000-foot Runway Safety Area mandated by the FAA.

"Engineered Materials Arresting Systems, or EMAS, are generally used at airports where space constraints prevent a full safety area from being provided," the airport said. "No U.S. airport has EMAS at a runway end that also maintains the full, unobstructed 1,000-foot safety area. EMAS is intended as an alternative, not as an additional layer on top of one."

The airport confirmed that MIA undergoes a comprehensive FAA safety inspection annually and has consistently met federal airfield safety requirements.

NTSB Chairwoman Jennifer Homendy said investigators are examining the absence of an EMAS system at the crash site. The National Transportation Safety Board and the FAA are currently investigating the crash. The airport stated it will cooperate fully with the review and evaluate any recommendations resulting from the investigation.