Countywide : Airport Disaster Scenario Enacted
About 200 people participated in a mock plane crash between a commercial airliner and a commuter jet at John Wayne Airport on Wednesday to test the airport’s ability to handle a disaster.
Capt. Dan Young of the Orange County Fire Authority said a final evaluation of the airport’s disaster plan is not due for a few days, but said he did not believe the test revealed any major shortcomings.
The drill, which lasted just over an hour, is conducted every three years to comply with Federal Aviation Administration requirements, according to officials.
“If it’s a great plan, and no one ever tries it out,” Young said, “it’s no good.”
More than 100 members of public safety agencies from Los Angeles and Orange counties participated, Young said.
In addition, Young said, 80 students from nearby universities--especially drama students--played the part of victims injured in the crash. The mock victims also were shuttled to one of the 14 hospitals within a 20-mile radius of the airport for treatment.
While airport visitors might have noticed activity surrounding the drill, Young said, it did not disrupt flights and was conducted at an isolated part of the airport.
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