Go to Skip to content | Zum Seitenanfang | Skip to page bottom | Select language

Press Releases
Press Releases

Press Releases and Archive

Here you will find all press releases of Flughafen Berlin Brandenburg GmbH.
Subscription for press mailing
Subscription for press mailing

Subscription for press mailing

Sign up here to subscribe to the airport company's press releases and traffic reports.
Background information
- Press kit
- Traffic Statistics
Background information

Press kit

The latest press kit for SXF, TXL and BER can be downloaded here.

Traffic Statistics

This is where you can access the monthly traffic statistics.
Media centre
Media centre

Media Library

Here you can find photos and videos regarding Berlin's airports and Flughafen Berlin Brandenburg GmbH.
Publications
Publications

Publications

Here you can order or download all FBB publications free of charge.
Photography / filming permits
- General information
- Permission form
Photography and filming permits

Information

Here you will find essential information about photography and filming at our airports.

Permission form

Fill in the form to apply for a photography and filming permit.
Contact persons
Contact persons

Contact

We are happy to help with your research and inquiries.

Go to Skip to main menu | Zum Seitenanfang | Skip to page bottom | Select language

Back to Press Releases

Emergency exercise at Schoenefeld Airport

27.05.11 14:00

Simulation of a collision involving an aircraft and a refuelling vehicle / Cooperation between all services involved was practiced / Emergency test at Schoenefeld is a highly realistic simulation of the actual situation

Last Saturday, between 1pm and 6pm Schoenefeld Airport was the scene of a large-scale emergency exercise. This test is performed regularly – at intervals of no more than two years – by Berlin Airports together with the county of Dahme-Spreewald. The objective of the exercise is to practice the cooperation of all services involved in such a situation, primarily the federal and state police, the county administration, the fire brigade, the Johanniter emergency services, the airlines and handling agents. The preparations for the exercise were kept absolutely secret to ensure that the exercise was as realistic as possible.

The hypothetical situation:

An incident has occurred on a flight from Munich to Hamburg: there is smoke in the cockpit and a smell of burning. The aircraft is forced to make an emergency landing at Schoenefeld Airport. During landing a runway incursion occurs, meaning that there is an aircraft, vehicle or person on the runway, and this causes a collision.

The exercise:

An air traffic controller of German Air Control reports from the tower that an aircraft with smoke in the cockpit is coming in for an emergency landing and he alerts the fire brigade. The fire brigade control centre alerts all the other services according to Berlin Airports’ emergency plan and triggers the alarm chain. The airport fire brigade takes up their positions on the runway. The other county services gather at the pre-arranged meeting point to await further instructions. During the emergency landing of the Airbus A319 a refuelling vehicle crosses the runway; a collision occurs, fatally injuring the driver and causing the refuelling vehicle to catch fire and burst into flames. The aircraft collides with the ground and breaks into three parts.

The fire brigade immediately starts rescuing the passengers and crew and fighting the fire in the aircraft. The injured passengers are evacuated from the danger zone and taken to nearby hospitals in the region; uninjured passengers are evacuated to Schoenefeld Airport’s conference centre where they are registered and all necessary care is provided.

The emergency exercise was supervised – as would also be the case in a real emergency – by the emergency control centre at Schoenefeld Airport. The centre is staffed by one representative from each of the services involved.

Summary:

At around 3pm the incident commander was able to give the all-clear and a positive summary: communication and cooperation between all services involved was good. All on-site processes took place without communication delays and information losses. In total, around 100 vehicles and 650 staff were on site, including 220 firemen, 50 staff from the various services involved, 47 staff from the state and federal police, over 60 emergency responders, around 100 observers, the members of the crisis management group in the emergency control centre and 65 extras from the RUD Team (Real Emergency Simulation). All processes will be analysed in detail and evaluated over the next few weeks.

Note for editors: You will find the latest information and press releases from Berlin Airports on our website www.berlin-airport.de as well as on our new facebook profile at facebook.