Would it be practical to have a snag-wire system as a means of stopping planes that are otherwise going to go off a runway? I know there'd be a very high likelihood of passenger injury, but it would in some cases be better than the alternative.
There is a very rare system in use at civilian airports but its not a snag-wire. The best description is a paved-over gravel bed that will stop an airplane overshooting the runway. Such systems are used for runaway semi trucks in mountainous areas also. Chicago Midway Airport would be a good candidate for the system because of its very short over-run and clearway. This will almost certainly be brought up in the accident investigation.