Pittsburgh International Holds Emergency Response Drill

MOON TOWNSHIP (KDKA) – It looked like the real thing, but what passengers flying in and out of Pittsburgh International Airport may have noticed on one of the runways was just a drill.

The FAA requires a large scale drill like the one held Thursday evening every three years.

The scenario was that a commercial plane had an engine fail during takeoff and there was a low impact crash. A wing fell off and there was a fire.

Officials say 120 volunteers represented injured passengers and wore tags detailing what was wrong with them.

Emergency responders stationed at the airport, as well as neighboring fire departments and paramedics, bolted into action.

The Airport Authority's Brad Penrod says it's a test of communication among other things. He says the airport has smaller drills and tests on a regular basis.

A construction project allowed them to hold this mock disaster on an actual runway, so they made sure that passengers in other planes were alerted that what they might see was only a drill.

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