CAAP’s airport plane crash response within int’l standards

CORTES, Bohol (PIA) -- After 2:17 seconds, Panglao Bohol International Airport’s Airport Rescue Fire Fighters (ARFF) arrived at the simulated fire scene in the airplane at the emergency landing site, sprayed chemical fire retardants to the burning fuselage, and contained the fire scene as the Emergency Operations Center was simultaneously put up for the Incident Command System (ICS) to initiate its coordinated response to the emergency.

“The response time was well within 3:00 minutes, the international standard for airport fire response, according to the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) Air and Ground Development Services, who were there to oversee the large-scale simulation exercise (SIMEX),” announced Airport Manager Atty. Rafael Tatlonghari during the exercise debriefing.

CAAP, which has to comply with the recertification requirements, scored 7/10 from Provincial Disaster and Risk Reduction Management Officer Anthony Damalerio, who was one of the judges during the drill.

The SIMEX scenario entails an Airbus 321 flight from Manila to Panglao crash landing after it experienced vibrations in its starboard engines, which later turned out to be a failure of engine number 2, which exploded.

The debris blew holes into the fuselage, causing significant damage to the airplane systems, which prompted the pilot in command to contact the Panglao Air Traffic Control Center for an emergency landing.

Before the hit airplane could land, air traffic control declared Emergency Condition 4 (EMCON 4) for the Full Emergency of an Airborne Aircraft.

This activated the ARFF and the airport manager, which deployed the rescue and fire fighting in strategic locations at the tarmac aprons.

Upon the handicapped airplane’s landing, its pilot lost control and the stricken plane swerved to the waterway canal, collapsing its landing gears. A third of the fuselage burst into fire.

That time, when EMCON 1 was sounded, ARFF rushed to the site, while airport operations were suspended for the incident.

The fire crew supervisor temporarily took command of the incident, which would eventually be turned over to the incident commander after reporting and assessing the crash scene.

As the ICS took over, calls for assistance from nearby rescue and recovery assets sounded, prompting 13 ambulance units, fire trucks, and other rescue units from the local government units of Panglao, Dauis, and Tagbilaran City and the Bureau of Fire Protection to respond and report to the staging area.

This is to manage the assets prior to deployment while CAAP Security and Intelligence Service (CSIS) with the PNP Aviation Security Unit set up the areas of activity, triage areas, and temporary treatment and transportation of the injured victims needing priority treatment.

In the triage areas, medics and volunteers tagged the victims according to the severity of their injuries to declog the system when everyone is sent to hospitals, including those that need no immediate care.

The response also included 13 ambulance units taking turns transporting the 135 victims and survivors.

During the debriefing, responders shared their difficulties, including the circuitous process of checking in at the ICS and immediately rushing to the site, unopened access gates which could have hastened the rescue response, communication issues, the placement of the EOC away from the crash site, the triage areas pitched too far from the site, mismanagement at the triage tagging systems and other minor communication issues from the EOC and its responsible person to the tower.

Overall, however, the test plan showed effective readiness, despite delays, which can be lessened in the next drills and could also be critical in reducing loss of life.

Tatlonghari lauded the ARFF and all emergency responders and volunteers, including those who rendered psychological first aid, the EOC for keeping a good inventory of responding units, and all observers who have helped sharpen the drill response in the next large-scale SIMEX. (PIA Bohol)