JBLE conducts aircraft crash exercise

By Staff Sgt. Areca T. Bell | 633rd Air Base Wing Public Affairs | July 18, 2018

Emergency personnel respond to an aircraft crash exercise at Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Virginia, July 17, 2018. One of the main purposes of the exercise was to evaluate plans and processes that occur during or immediately after an aircraft crash. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Areca T. Bell) (Photo by Staff Sgt. Areca T. Bell)

Volunteers wait for an aircraft crash exercise to begin at Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Virginia, July 17, 2018. The volunteers acted as personnel injured during a U.S. Army CH-47 Chinook crash near the installation’s 3rd Port. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Areca T. Bell) (Photo by Staff Sgt. Areca T. Bell)

McDonald Army Health Center emergency services personnel prepare to load a patient onto an ambulance during an aircraft crash exercise at Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Virginia, July 17, 2018. Although JBLE hopes to never have to use emergency response procedures, exercises like this are necessary to ensure personnel are prepared to provide optimal care to patients during a real-world incident. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Areca T. Bell) (Photo by Staff Sgt. Areca T. Bell)

Emergency response personnel contain possible hazardous materials or oils that may have spilled during an aircraft crash exercise at Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Virginia, July 17, 2018. The exercise took four months of planning, where commanders were given the opportunity to input exercise objectives and communicate with subject matter experts from multiple career fields. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Areca T. Bell) (Photo by Staff Sgt. Areca T. Bell)

A patient waits for medical transportation during an aircraft crash exercise at Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Virginia, July 17, 2018. The exercise included simulation of 11 dead and wounded personnel whose injuries included broken bones, internal bleeding and lacerations. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Areca T. Bell) (Photo by Staff Sgt. Areca T. Bell)

Volunteers board a boat prior to an aircraft crash exercise at Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Virginia, July 17, 2018. U.S. service members from JBLE volunteered to act as dead or injured personnel to help emergency personnel receive more realistic training during the exercise. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Areca T. Bell) (Photo by Staff Sgt. Areca T. Bell)

Emergency response personnel contain possible hazardous materials or oils that may have spilled during an aircraft crash exercise at Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Virginia, July 17, 2018. The exercise allowed Wing Inspection Team members to evaluate the plans, processes and training that each unit has conducted to help commanders at all levels adjust training, provide additional resources where there is a need or develop a team to revise plans and processes, if need be. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Areca T. Bell) (Photo by Staff Sgt. Areca T. Bell)

Units from Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Virginia participated in an aircraft crash exercise at Fort Eustis’ 3rd Port, July 17, 2018. Emergency response personnel were faced with a simulated crash where a U.S. Army CH-47 Chinook experiencing electrical and mechanical failures was unable to reach the airfield and crashed into a boat near the installation’s 3rd Port. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Areca T. Bell) (Photo by Staff Sgt. Areca T. Bell)

McDonald Army Health Center emergency services personnel work to secure a patient during an aircraft crash exercise at Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Virginia, July 17, 2018. Fort Eustis conducted a helicopter crash exercise to improve its readiness for potential aircraft incidents. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Areca T. Bell) (Photo by Staff Sgt. Areca T. Bell)

Members from various agencies across Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Virginia, gather at the Fort Eustis Emergency Operations Center during an aircraft crash exercise at JBLE, July 17, 2018. While emergency personnel responded to the crash, members from various support agencies gathered at the Emergency Operations Center to provide assistance to those on scene and supply leadership with information to make decisions appropriate to the scenario. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Areca T. Bell) (Photo by Staff Sgt. Areca T. Bell)

U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Chase Johnson, U.S. Army Medical Activity operations NCO, applies moulage to a volunteer prior to an aircraft crash exercise at Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Virginia, July 17, 2018. Moulage helped enhance the exercise by providing a more realistic scenario for personnel responding to the incident. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Areca T. Bell) (Photo by Staff Sgt. Areca T. Bell)

Right, U.S. Army Spc. Sophia Matozzi, U.S. Army Medical Activity laboratory technician, applies moulage to a volunteer prior to an aircraft crash exercise at Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Virginia, July 17, 2018. A three-person team applied realistic, movie-style wound makeup to volunteers from JBLE who acted as victims of the simulated crash. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Areca T. Bell) (Photo by Staff Sgt. Areca T. Bell)

JOINT BASE LANGLEY-EUSTIS, Va. —

Units from Joint Base Langley-Eustis participated in an aircraft crash exercise here July 17.

The aim of the exercise was to evaluate JBLE’s ability to manage the aftermath of a helicopter mishap. Emergency responders faced a simulated crash in which a U.S. Army CH-47 Chinook, experiencing electrical and mechanical failures, was unable to reach the airfield and crashed into a boat near the installation’s 3rd Port.

First responders put out the fiery crash, attended to 11 people roleplaying dead and injured personnel and contained any hazardous materials or oils that may have spilled during the crash.

“This type of exercise allows the wing inspection team to evaluate the plans, processes and training each unit has conducted. Additionally, it can bring to light a unit’s resource limitations,” said Randy Renaud, 633rd Air Base Wing Inspector General’s inspections exercise program manager. “Personnel in every functional area conduct training in their own unit—the WIT and the IG’s inspections section are the eyes and ears of the commander. This is valuable information that is given to commanders at all levels to adjust training, provide additional resources where there is a need or develop a team to revise plans and processes.”

While emergency personnel responded to the crash, members from various support agencies gathered at the emergency operations center to provide assistance to those on scene and supply leadership with information to make decisions appropriate to the scenario.

“At the EOC we work on notification, assessing the situation and compiling information,” said James Ferguson, 633rd Civil Engineer Squadron emergency management training technician. “While our emergency forces are responding to the scene, we’re listening and taking in all that information, so that when our (733rd Mission Support Group) commander arrives at the EOC, we can provide her an initial report on what is happening on the site, and what resources and assistance the incident commander on the ground may need. The MSG commander will utilize the information that we are gathering to make critical decisions.”

Responders were evaluated while they executed procedures from the Joint Base Emergency Management Plan; Felker Army Air Field Pre-Accident Plan; JBLE Mishap Response Plan; Fort Eustis Spill Prevention and Response Plan for Oil and Hazardous Substances; and each agency’s standard operating procedures, checklists and key objectives.