Kahului Airport Emergency Exercise to Simulate Airliner Crash

Kahului Airport. Photo by Wendy Osher.

By Wendy Osher

The state Department of Transportation will conduct a triennial emergency response exercise at Kahului Airport on Maui.

The realistic exercise is a Federal Aviation Administration certification requirement to test airfield disaster preparedness and response.

The exercise will simulate an airliner crash at the airport and will take place between 9:30 and 11 a.m. on Wednesday, October 24, 2012.

Approximately 80 volunteers from Kamehameha Schools will play the role of mock casualties on a Boeing 777.  The exercise will also include a small live-fire drill at approximately 9:30 a.m.

All flight operations will run as normal during the exercise.  Motorists and the general public are advised to be aware of additional emergency vehicles and security personnel along Amala Road and around Kanaha Beach Park.

“Maintaining the highest levels of preparedness requires regular exercises to ensure that all responding agencies work efficiently as a team,” said Glenn Okimoto, DOT Director in a media statement.

“Crash simulations like our triennial exercise will help to keep all of our partners ready in the event of an actual emergency,” said Okimoto.

Agencies participating in the exercise will include: Kahului Airport Rescue and Fire Fighting teams; Maui Police Department; Maui Fire Department; Emergency Medical Services; Maui Civil Defense; Hawaii Air National Guard; Transportation Security Administration; Federal Aviation Administration; American Red Cross; Hawaii Disaster Medical Assistance Team; Maui Memorial Medical Center; American Medical Response; Healthcare Association of Hawaii; Maui Visitors Bureau; user airlines and other state agencies.