42 ‘dead’ after jumbo jet ‘crash’ on Saipan runway

A jumbo jet with more than 100 passengers aboard “crashed” yesterday morning at the Francisco C. Ada/Saipan International Airport runway, “killing” 42 and injuring scores more.

This was the scenario of a training exercise conducted by the Commonwealth Ports Authority’s Aircraft and Rescue Fire Fighting department during its 2012 Triennial Airport Disaster Drill.

James Diaz, chief of the CPA-ARFF, said the exercise is a requirement of the Federal Aviation Administration to test the CNMI’s capability in responding to emergencies and disasters. FAA requires the disaster drill every three years on Saipan, Tinian, and Rota.

Based on the drill scenario, a Boeing 747 jumbo jet originating from Alaska was making its final approach onto Runway 7 at the Saipan International Airport at 8:59am. The aircraft had 148 people onboard and 12,000 lbs of fuel left. As it touched down, the left landing gear collapsed and the pilot lost control. The aircraft then skidded to the left of the runway onto the grassy area. The speed and force of impact caused the aircraft to flip when it hit the drainage and came to rest after taxiway D on the open field. A large explosion was heard and a large fireball and black smoke were seen by tower controllers. The site had fuel, debris, suitcases, bodies, and passengers all over the wreckage.

In the scenario, tower controllers immediately called ARFF dispatch via hotline and declared Alert Level III.

At the “crash site,” over 100 responders from various government agencies were seen performing their roles to save as many lives as possible.

Just a few meters from the “crash site” were the command post; the mini-hospital site with triage and holding areas; and the emergency operations center where various agencies’ representatives, ports officials, and evaluators were monitoring the incident.

Other agencies and groups such as American Red Cross, Department of Homeland Security, Department of Public Safety personnel, and other agencies also responded to the “emergency.”

25 medical staff deployed

According to Warren Villagomez, Division of Public Health director for emergency preparedness, 25 medical personnel were dispatched to the area to provide immediate assistance.

He said 20 “victims” were taken to the Commonwealth Health Center’s emergency room, while 42 “passengers” were declared dead on site. The rest of the “victims” suffered minor injuries and were treated at the mini-hospital.

Villagomez said that all doctors and nurses on the day’s shift at CHC were on “standby” for the incident.

“This drill is very important to the public health because it tests our capability in responding to an emergency. It also tested the in-house coordination on our part,” he said.

Successful drill

CPA executive director Edward Deleon Guerrero was very pleased and satisfied with the overall turnout of the exercise, which also saw the participation of 120 volunteer students from Marianas High School who acted as victims.

“This is testament that when we put resources and knowledge together, we can do something very successful. We need to be ready and prepared in actual emergencies and that’s the goal of [yesterday’s] exercise,” said Deleon Guerrero.

He said the CPA-ARFF spent a couple of months putting together the disaster plan in coordination with partner agencies and attributed its success to the “coordinated efforts” of all participants.

Besides the over 100 responders and volunteers, also present at the drill were evaluators who will put together a report next week for full review.

Deleon Guerrero said they will concentrate on the “weak areas” that may be noted in the evaluation for corrective actions. Full report will be sent to FAA in three months for evaluation.

A similar disaster drill is scheduled on Tinian next week while Rota did the same exercise last year.

According to Deleon Guerrero, yesterday’s incident was documented for use in training CPA’s counterparts in Micronesia. CPA-ARFF is authorized to provide training to airport personnel in the region.