Drill: Plane lost its engines - passengers evacuated successfully

"Wagtail" drill, simulating a mass aviation disaster, and examining the scenario of an emergency landing as a result of a plane crash a Boeing 767, was held at Ben Gurion Airport. In the drill, MDA teams took a major part when their ability to provide medical care and evacuate the wounded from the plane which was hit was tested in the framework of the exercise.

The drill was initiated by the Israel Airports Authority, and worked alongside MDA, police, fire department, IDF and other emergency forces .

The purpose of the exercise was to test the emergency operating procedures of all entities participating, including deployment in the area, treatment and rapid evacuation of the casualties, control over the event and more. The exercise was held at Ben Gurion Airport simulating a plane crash at the airport. It was attended by dozens of ambulances, mobile intensive care units, MDA motorbikes, cars of multi-casualty event stations, jeep-ambulances, command vehicles of MDA and MDA medics and paramedics. Alongside the MDA teams the Airports Authority, Israel Police, IDF and Fire Protection also participated in the exercise.

The story of the drill conducted focused on a 767 plane attempting an emergency landing at Ben Gurion Airport, while losing two of its engines which fall in urban areas over Rosh Ha'ayin and Beit Dagan. For the first time in MDA, the aviation exercise was carried out in three arenas in parallel, each of them had many casualties as a result of the incident. Thus, at the Community Center of Rosh Ha'ayin – on which the plane's engine parts crashed, 15 people were injured. The second engine parts fell on a road in Beit Dagan and caused the capsizing of a truck with hazardous materials. In this incident about 10 people were injured.

The plane itself, on which 170 passengers and tankers with tons of fuel, landed on its belly at Ben Gurion Airport, causing a mass casualty event.

Upon receiving the first call of the emergency case of the plane, "Wagtail" drill declared a state of emergency and the control tower called the MDA forces according to the procedure as part of the emergency plan of the port.

With the opening of the exercise activity, large forces of MDA including ambulances, mobile intensive care units, motorcycles, jeep-ambulances operated by the National Center of MDA and later by the center of the advanced command truck of MDA were deployed in the area and treated simulated wounded and evacuated them to a drill hospital set up at a short distance from the scene.



During the exercise, 30 ambulances were used which are in storage of emergency. These ambulances are not just for an emergency event at Ben Gurion Airport, but will be operated in any case of a large emergency incident in the center of the country. Among other things, these ambulances practiced, in cooperation with the Israel Police, the real hinge clearance to Beilinson Hospital and Assaf Harofeh Hospital.

MDA Blood Services also conducted a comprehensive practice during the day. In the framework of their activities, MDA Blood Services provided services to various hospitals with hundred doses and blood components intended to help save the lives of victims in the drills.

During the exercise, MDA deployed the unique truck command post, providing MDA forces with communications and event management among the highest in the world, helping to save many lives. Additionally, MDA activated during the exercise special networks that can help the leaders on the ground managing the event and making a complete snapshot at any time through tablets.

Director of Ben Gurion Airport, Shmuel Zakai, said at the end of the exercise: "The exercise was brought forwards by one year due to the fact that during the year 2014 project of runways will be opened at Ben Gurion Airport and for the first time the forces practiced rescue operations on Route 2/1 which will be the landing strip under the new operating model of Ben Gurion".

MDA Director General, Eli Bin said: "Unfortunately, Israel has practiced various types of disasters, but happily so far we did not have to take care of serious aviation disasters of this type. At the same time, we practice all the time to be prepared for the worst. One of our most important insights is about the time that this type of incident occurs, to deal with the issue we have developed systems that can alert at the shortest time the various role holders even at unconventional hours. Today we tested here the new technologies on this topic, along with the unique command post vehicle which significantly improves the operational capabilities of MDA in an emergency. In addition, there is great importance to full cooperation between the Israel Airports Authority, MDA, IDF, firefighters and police to bring excellent results at the evacuation of casualties and extrication. The importance of the practice of these events is critical and there is no doubt that the practice demonstrates the high capability of MDA and the fact that it was able to provide a full and quality response at such events."

Photo: Azriel Moshe

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