Rescue exercise simulates plane crash at MCIA

The Mactan-Cebu International Airport Authority (MCIAA) conducts the Mactan Airport Crash and Rescue Exercise (Macrex) on Friday, Nov. 17, 2018, as part of their rescue exercise held every two years to review and enhance the capability of the airport authority to respond to aircraft-related emergencies should it happen within the airport compound or its neighboring areas.

A plane crashed at the Mactan-Cebu International Airport (MCIA)? Relax. It was just an exercise.

The MCIA Authority (MCIAA) conducted the Mactan Airport Crash and Rescue Exercise (Macrex) Friday afternoon as part of their rescue exercise held every two years to review and enhance the capability of the airport to handle emergency rescues involving the airport and aircrafts.

MCIAA General Manager Steve Dicdican said they coordinated with all the support groups, such as the hospitals for the use of their ambulances, medical groups like the Emergency Rescue Unit Foundation (ERUF) and the Philippine Red Cross, the Lapu-Lapu Fire Central District, the Philippine Air Force, airline companies, Philippine National Police, and airport employees.

“We see to it that the airport’s capability in responding and handling emergency cases like this is intact and more improved after learning from the previous exercises and actual rescue experiences,” said Dicdican.

In the exercise, a supposed flight with 75 passengers was on a landing approach at the MCIA when it lost communication with the control tower.

It was later found slumped in the field and has caught fire.

The control tower immediately alerted the concerned departments and after ten minutes, fire trucks begun arriving, followed by ambulances.

Ten passengers were counted as fatalities, 40 were seriously injured and 25 were slightly injured. Police cordoned the “crash site” and controlled the crowd.

The exercise lasted from 1:55 p.m. to 2:30 p.m., during which time the fire was put out and the injured passengers were brought to hospitals.

Dicdican said that based on the report of the evaluators, composed of executives of airline companies operating at MCIA, yesterday’s exercise was better and more improved compared to the exercise done two years ago.