MANCHESTER, N.H. — Manchester-Boston Regional Airport conducted a mock aircraft accident exercise on Thursday to enhance emergency response training.
The drill simulated a scenario where a plane took off and crashed into a vehicle on the runway, involving over 75 agencies, mutual aid partners, local hospitals, and more than 100 volunteers acting as passengers.
Airport Aviation Director Thomas Malafronte stated, “We're going to identify the injuries. We're going to put out any fire or deal with any hazmat at the scene. We're going to transport these victims to the various hospitals.”
The Federal Aviation Administration mandates that Class I airports like MHT conduct a full-scale exercise at least once every three years. Malafronte emphasized the importance of preparing for varied weather conditions, noting, “We've done them at night, we've done them in the morning… we need to do them in the rain as well.”
Manchester Mayor Jay Ruais highlighted the significance of interdepartmental communication and collaboration during such drills.
The emergency exercise did not affect flight operations at the airport.