NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Emergency crews battled flames bellowing from the inside of a plane Saturday morning. Luggage, equipment and bodies were spread out across the runway at Nashville International Airport. It was a tragic scene, but fortunately it was all a drill.
Every three years the FAA has mandated that Nashville International Airport conduct a full scale emergency preparedness drill, complete with explosions, fire and lots of fake blood.
The victims Saturday were students from McGavock High School.
"I was glad I wasn't dead at least but I'm going to Summit Hospital, so I have second degree burns on my hands and arms but I'm excited," senior, Jordan Scales said.
Before the drill each victim was given a card with information on it.
"I actually have a deep laceration from eye to ear and I'm going to be falling in and out of consciousness," explained Scales.
The accident simulated two aircrafts colliding on the runway; the first emergency truck had less than a minute to respond.
"I saw the response. It was a good response but in this situation there's always something you can work on, something you can do better," Airport Authority Captain Thomas Quarles said.
Quarles kept a close eye on how everything unfolded.
"The crowds are there,” Quarles said. “They're triaging to three different categories; minor, major and severe of their injuries."
The goal was to test the effectiveness of the airport as well as federal, state and local agencies during an emergency.
The drill didn't stop at the airport. After the triage, the victims were taken to several hospitals throughout the area where first responders also participated in the drill.
