A training drill preparing for an airplane emergency landing is planned for Nikos Kazantzakis Heraklion Airport on Crete, simulating what would happen if a fire broke out in an engine of a plane 20 nautical miles away and airport officials scrambled all resources.
Officials said the exercise was designed to show emergency reaction if during the landing of the burning aircraft it was diverted from the runway and ended up in plane parking spaces where a fire then broke out.
The exercise estimated there would be many victims and will take place in a restricted area of the airport, while the involved organizations and services have met to discuss the exercise operation.
The exercise envisions that a forced landing is when the aircraft is forced to make a landing due to technical problems. Landing as soon as possible is a priority, no matter where, since a major system failure has occurred or is imminent. It is caused by the failure of or damage to vital systems such as engines, hydraulics, or landing gear, and so a landing must be attempted where a runway is needed but none is available.
The pilot is essentially trying to get the aircraft on the ground in a way which minimizes the possibility of injury or death to the people aboard. This means that the forced landing may even occur when the aircraft is still flyable, in order to prevent a crash or ditching situation.
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