2 hurt in mock plane crash

The plane crash was staged, but the injuries were real.

The holding of an aircraft crash emergency response exercise by the Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) yesterday would have been 100 percent successful were it not for minor injuries suffered by two participants.

While some 100 MIAA personnel and participating firefighters from the fire stations of Parañaque City and Pasay City responded to the simulated airplane crash within three minutes, it was learned that MIAA firefighter Leopoldo Calabio sustained a gash on his forehead that needed five stitches and rescuer Ruben Gerola sustained a bruise on his leg.

Fire and rescue workers had their hands full in the simulated crash and explosion of a plane on a grassy portion between taxiways N and G2 of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA).

As thick black smoke rose from the plane, fire and rescue teams rushed to save artificially-bloodied bodies of passengers scattered all over the runway.

Firemen then sprayed chemical fire retarding foam on the burning aircraft as other rescuers pulled passengers from the plane.

A few minutes later, medical teams from Makati, Parañaque and Pasay reached the site and assisted in the rescue efforts for the plane’s passengers. Nine ambulances arrived at the scene.

A Huey helicopter from the Philippine Air Force also arrived at the scene, prepared to airlift survivors to nearby hospitals.

The orchestrated accident was part of the airport’s bi-annual Crash and Rescue Exercise (CREX), which is held to hone the airport’s emergency teams in responding to such accidents.

Retired Brig. Gen. Angel Atutubo, MIAA assistant general manager for emergency and security services, said the CREX is held in accordance with the requirements of the International Civil Aviation Organization.

"With the CREX, we can determine the effectiveness of our rescue teams at the airport." Atutubo said. "The outcome of the simulation is laudable as all of the fire and rescue workers, including those from the MMDA and the cities of Makati, Parañaque and Pasay, all arrived within the prescribed time set by emergency experts."

Alfonso Cusi, MIAA general manager, commended all rescue workers and airport employees who participated in the simulation and thanked them for the successful holding of the exercise.

However, executives of international airlines operating at the NAIA said that while they admit the exercise showed the quick response of fire and rescue teams, there was still room for improvement in terms of rescue procedures.