NAIA beats international standard for aircraft crash response in exercise—MIAA

MANILA, Philippines — Beating the three-minute international standard for aircraft crash response, the Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) assured the preparedness of all emergency teams at the country’s premier airport.

Thursday morning’s Crash and Rescue Exercise (CREX) showcased the MIAA’s emergency response capability in the event of a plane crash and was held a week before the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit.

The scenario: a Palawan-bound aircraft CREX-2015, carrying 70 passengers and six crew members, suffers a left engine malfunction shortly after takeoff from the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA). The pilot loses control of the plane, which crashes in the aviation support industrial area near the West Service Road in Parañaque City and bursts into flames.

As a result of the “crash,” 19 passengers were killed and 46 others were wounded.

Fire on the plane wreckage was quickly put out by responding MIAA rescue and firefighting division units to enable the immediate extrication of passengers. Medical teams immediately setup tents and color-coded areas for the treatment of casualties, depending on the gravity of their injuries. An area, far from where the injured was being treated and marked with a black flag, was designated for bodies recovered from the crashed aircraft.

Other casualties from the crash were airlifted using an Air Force emergency helicopter. Personnel of the Airport Police Department and the Aviation Security Group immediately cordoned off and preserved the crash site for the investigation of the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines.

Finally, mopping up operations were conducted to make sure that all passengers and crew members were accounted for.

Apart from airport emergency units, the Pasay City and Parañaque City fire departments; the Barangay Merville Fire Brigade; the Air Force 505th wing; the San Juan de Dios Hospital; the Villamor Airbase General Hospital; and the Makati Medical Center, took part in the CREX as secondary rescue teams.

According to MIAA senior assistant general manager Vicente Guerzon Jr, who led the evaluation team, this year’s CREX was generally excellent although there were still minor adjustments needed.

He noted that the response time of the firefighting unit was less than two minutes, which was much faster than the three minutes set by International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) standards, and the entire exercise was completed in 37 minutes.

Guerzon said that the minor lapses observed by the evaluation team could be easily corrected. Among minor flaws they saw was the recovery of bodies by rescuers in fire proximity or asbestos suits from the aircraft before the rescue of casualties; the slow setup of medical tents; the erroneous placement of the police cordon; and the absence of airline representatives on the ground.

“These are just minor lapses that can be corrected because these are just people that need adjustment. We would have to slightly modify the doctrine,” he pointed out, referring to the airport disaster preparedness programs of the NAIA.

Guerzon said that the observations would have to be considered in the tabletop exercise next year for doctrinal correction. The next actual exercise will be in 2017.

He pointed out that the CREX was conducted in compliance with the ICAO Annex 14, which has provided for a plan covering “the coordination and implementation of actions to be taken in an emergency situation occurring within or in the vicinity of an airport.”

“Our ambulance category is 9, meaning we are capable of undertaking rescue in wider aircraft like a Boeing 747. We also have the required number of fire trucks and ambulances and sufficient water supply,” the MIAA official said. A Boeing 747 or jumbo jet can accommodate at least 400 passengers.

Asked if the MIAA was showing off for the APEC leaders’ meeting, Guerzon said, “This is not showing off. This is in preparation for the APEC. Heads of state are coming over, we should be prepared.”  SFM