Full-scale drill was carried out smoothly in Macau Heliport

To test and train the personnel with the capacity to handle emergencies, the annual full-scale emergency exercise was carried out in the Macau Heliport in the late evening of 02 December 2014 till early next morning to simulate a helicopter engine failure while landing that led to an accident and injuries. All relevant entities cooperated with each other to handle this emergency in accordance with the respective contingency plans. The exercise was deemed smooth.

The exercise started at 23:30 with the participation of 50 people. It simulated the scenario of an accident with a helicopter carrying passengers that was making final approach at the heliport. An engine failure occurred and the helicopter lost propulsive power and landed heavily onto the main pad. The accident resulted in the detachment of some parts from the aircraft and caused two injuries. The Flight Operation Control Centre immediately activated the emergency response procedures and notified all relevant entities. The Heliport Emergency Operation Centre was then activated. Representatives of the relevant entities and the rescue team arrived on site in a short time to rescue the injured, evacuate people, maintain order in the terminal, attend to enquiries and so on. The exercise was concluded in an hour.

East Asia Airlines Ltd, the present operator of helicopter services between Macao and Hong Kong, was the coordinator of this exercise. Participants included the Customs Bureau, the Public Security Police Force, the Fire Brigade, the Marine and Water Bureau, and the Civil Aviation Authority.

A full scale emergency exercise was conducted in the Macau Heliport in the late evening of 02 December 2014 till early next morning to simulate a helicopter accident and the response of all relevant entities to test their capacity in handling emergencies.