Aircraft accident simulation results in teamwork

MOSES LAKE - No detail was too small for incident responders at the Port of Moses Lake's aircraft accident simulation.

In a muddy field south of Randolph Road in Moses Lake, various representatives from different aspects of emergency services convened for a simulation of how they would respond to an aircraft accident.

The simulation included an injury, a death, a fugitive and dealing with illegal drugs.

"The idea today is to be better prepared for a real situation," Port of Moses Lake facilities and operations director Rich Mueller said.

From Grant County Fire District No. 5 firefighters, to the county coroner's office, to Grant County deputies and MACC Dispatch representatives, any and all agencies that may be called to an aircraft accident were present.

The Federal Aviation Administration requires airports to hold an incident simulation every three years, to ensure airports know what to do in the event of an emergency. An airport must hold the simulation if they want to continue to be FAA certified, Mueller said.

The simulation started out early Thursday morning, as District 5 donated a van to be lit on fire to simulate an aircraft fire. Amerigas provided gas to fuel the flame, for responding firefighters to put out.

At 8:45 a.m. a call came across the various agency's radios, notifying them of an airplane crash, just as would happen in the event of a real situation.

First responders from District 5 rushed to the scene and quickly put out the fire that was ablaze in the van, which was representing an airplane fire.

As firefighters rushed to put out the fire, deputies spotted a person running away from the scene of the plane crash. The scene was designed to take the form of three drug runners getting into an airplane accident, with one getting injured, one dying and one fleeing the scene.

Three volunteers from Big Bend Community College's Aviation Maintenance Technology program played the three persons involved in the crash.

"Real airplane crashes are multi-faceted. Very rarely do they involve only one agency, it is usually a joint effort between various agencies," said retired Air Force colonel and Grant County Emergency Services volunteer David Dorman, "This gets folks to understand what they would need to do in an airplane crash."

As deputies were chasing down, and ultimately taking a man possessing contraband into custody, firefighters were scouring the scene looking for blood trails of additional victims leading away from the scene.

Emergency services would arrive later at the scene, and take a female passenger, who was in the plane, to the hospital for treatment. County coroner Craig Morrison would come out the scene next, placing the deceased man into a body bag, transporting him away from the scene.

"The success in situations like this one, would be due to the various agencies working together at the scene," Mueller said.

Thursday's simulation was Mueller's first time taking lead of the simulation. He said he believed the simulation was an overall success, with the various agencies working together as a team.