Bird strike downs plane in airport drill

A staged disaster response exercise at the Saipan International Airport yesterday featured a hypothetical airplane downed by a bird strike, complete with flames, black smoke, and injured passengers.

“Operation Bird Strike,” which tested the CNMI’s ability to respond to an emergency, was deemed successful in saving the lives of 160 passengers aboard a Boeing 767.

The exercise scenario: A commercial aircraft with student-passengers on board was approaching Runway 7 at 9am yesterday to land when a possible seabird strike caused the pilots to lose control of the engines, resulting in the plane’s emergency landing within 30 seconds.

In the disaster drill scenario, the aircraft banked to the right and slammed into the ARFF training pit, followed immediately by a loud noise, billowing black smoke, and towering flames.

To make the exercise more interesting, the hypothetical aircraft was carrying 15,000 gallons of jet fuel and cargo that included a casket containing the body of a deceased man being transported back to his homeland.

Added to this was the force of the impact, which ripped the fuselage into three large pieces and several smaller parts and a runway that is littered with victims, debris, baggage and loose monies.

Upon receiving the go-ahead at the airport advisory service, airport officers immediately activated the emergency alert III procedures and Aircraft Rescue Firefighter crews responded to the scene.

Less than 30 minutes after the incident, over a hundred emergency responders were at the “crash site,” pulling out passengers from the inside of the plane, treating those with injuries, and controlling the blaze.

ARFF chief James V. Diaz said the exercise is a requirement of the Federal Aviation Administration and is conducted at the Commonwealth airport every three years.

In 2006, CPA-ARFF got a ++A rating for the disaster drill and was commended by federal representatives for an “excellent” performance.

Diaz, citing the positive feedback from the drill’s evaluators, is hoping for a similar—if not better—grade this year.

The 160 participants are seniors at the island’s three public high schools—Marianas High, Saipan Southern High, and Kagman High School.

For Jessica Babauta, 17, from Kagman High, the drill was the biggest she’s ever participated in.

“It’s important to know the basic skills and steps in saving lives. I am happy that I became part of this exercise and I can say this is my first time in this kind of situation,” she told Saipan Tribune, adding that students learned to treat different types of injuries, from open wounds and minor scratches to serious injuries.

Benavente was just one of 61 seniors from her school who will bring home to their families the values and lessons learned in saving human lives.

The three-hour exercise, Diaz said, involved over a hundred responders from various emergency units of the government, including Department of Public Safety’s police and firefighters, local chapter of the American Red Cross, Transportation Security Administration, hospital staff, Emergency Management Office, and the presence of two signatory airlines, Asiana and Northwest.

Rich Benavente, a firefighter for 10 years, was among the first to go inside the burning aircraft to rescue two personnel trapped inside. He said, “It feels good when you know you saved a life.”

He said it’s not only the firefighters’ responsibility to respond to a “need,” but the community members as well.

Benavente described the triennial exercise one of the best ways to enhance their preparedness.

Of the 160 crash victims, responders tagged 89 as walk-in patients and were transported to the immigration office; 41 individuals were labeled yellow for sustaining minor injuries; 15 were transported to the hospital for serious damage; while 15 were identified dead and labeled black.

According to a staff nurse at the Commonwealth Health Center’s emergency unit, victims were admitted at 9:09am and cleared or discharged at 10:55am.

During disaster drills, all hospital staffers are called to active duty to enhance their readiness to attend to calamities.

“It’s a big help for all of us here in the hospital because we can check our preparedness for such disasters,” the nurse said.

Of the 15 admitted to CHC, two victims were referred to surgical, while one was admitted to the operating room and one referred to the intensive care unit.

The rest were cleared and treated for minor wounds.

Among yesterday’s evaluators were representatives of CPA, TSA, DPS, CHC, and EMO.

ARFF chief Diaz said the “action review program” where evaluators’ recommendations are listed will be submitted to FAA, which will make the final review and assessment of the drill.