Last Friday, the Airports Authority of TT (AATT) held an emergency exercise at the Piarco International Airport by simulating the crash of an aircraft there.
The AATT aerodrome at Piarco is regulated by the TT Civil Aviation Authority (TTCAA), in accordance with Civil Aviation (No 12) Aerodrome Licencing Regulations.
The authority is responsible for aircraft rescue and firefighting (ARFF) for all aircraft accidents that may occur within a five-kilometre radius of each TT airport.
Aircraft accidents in other areas of TT are deemed offsite.
The regulations require the authority to hold an emergency exercise at least once every 24 months to test the co-ordination of the emergency service agencies referred to in the AATT aerodrome emergency plan and the adequacy of the procedures and facilities provided for in that plan.
According to the regulations, AATT is required to establish an aerodrome emergency committee – the membership of which includes representatives from the fire services, police or other emergency services that, having regard to the location of the aerodrome, would be most likely asked to assist in the event of an emergency.
[caption id="attachment_1124773" align="alignnone" width="1024"] In this file photo, an emergency services personnel walks beside a damaged Korean Air aircraft after it overshot the runway at the Mactan-Cebu International Airport in Cebu, Philippines on October 24, 2022. via AP - AP PHOTO[/caption]
The committee is required to prepare an aerodrome emergency plan for both Piarco and ANR Robinson international airports.
The plan must include procedures for co-ordinating the responses of all emergency service organisations and any other matters to be included as prescribed in the ICAO manual of aerodrome standards. The committee has to review the plan at least once every 12 months and make any changes necessary to ensure it operates properly.
This review is to be carried out in consultation with the emergency service agencies referred to in the plan.
As soon as practicable after an emergency exercise has been carried out, or if an emergency has occurred, the AATT must arrange for the committee to review the effectiveness of the responses to the exercise or the emergency, assess the adequacy of the plan to deal with emergencies and take any necessary corrective action to ensure the plan operates properly.
The AATT must ensure that records are kept of each review of the plan carried out under the regulations and each record is retained for at least three years after the review to which the record relates.
The Boeing Company maintains statistics on all commercial jet plane accidents worldwide and publishes a statistical summary annually.
According to the 2023 summary, from 2014-2023, 21 per cent of fatal accidents occurred during the takeoff and initial climb phases of flight. Forty-three per cent of all fatal accidents occurred during the final approach and landing phases of flight.
[caption id="attachment_1124771" align="alignnone" width="1024"] A snapshot of
