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Transportation & Logistics

Airport’s mock disaster drill unleashes walking wounded on runway

By , Daily Memphian Updated: October 16, 2018 12:09 PM CT | Published: October 15, 2018 4:07 PM CT
<strong>Donna Dobro applies fake blood and other makeup on Dylan Price, 21, before an airport disaster drill at Memphis International Airport on Monday, Oct. 15.&nbsp;<span style="color: black;">The Federal Aviation Administration requires a full-scale disaster exercise every three years. After a 2016 drill, Memphis airport officials decided to have it every two years to sharpen emergency-response procedures.</span></strong>&nbsp;(Houston Cofield/Daily Memphian)

Donna Dobro applies fake blood and other makeup on Dylan Price, 21, before an airport disaster drill at Memphis International Airport on Monday, Oct. 15. The Federal Aviation Administration requires a full-scale disaster exercise every three years. After a 2016 drill, Memphis airport officials decided to have it every two years to sharpen emergency-response procedures. (Houston Cofield/Daily Memphian)

<strong>Students from Memphis Academy of Health Sciences show off their makeup to friends before participating in the mock airport disaster at Memphis International Airport.&nbsp;</strong><span style="color: black;"><strong>The 60-student senior class of MAHS turned out, along with paramedic students from Northwest Mississippi Community College and others.</strong> (Houston Cofield/Daily Memphian)</span>

Students from Memphis Academy of Health Sciences show off their makeup to friends before participating in the mock airport disaster at Memphis International Airport. The 60-student senior class of MAHS turned out, along with paramedic students from Northwest Mississippi Community College and others. (Houston Cofield/Daily Memphian)

<strong>Chrissy Sewell (left) and Beth Jamison take a break before participating in the mock airport disaster.</strong> (Houston Cofield/Daily Memphian)

Chrissy Sewell (left) and Beth Jamison take a break before participating in the mock airport disaster. (Houston Cofield/Daily Memphian)

<strong>Beth Jamison picks up her poncho before heading out to participate in the mock airport disaster drill at Memphis International Airport.</strong> (Houston Cofield/Daily Memphian)

Beth Jamison picks up her poncho before heading out to participate in the mock airport disaster drill at Memphis International Airport. (Houston Cofield/Daily Memphian)

Zombies didn’t take over a runway at Memphis International Airport Monday morning, but it sure looked like it. A mass-casualty disaster exercise featured 117 students, moaning, limping and generally pouring on the theatrics as they pretended to be victims of an airliner crash landing. The mock disaster, which closed Runway 36L/18R from 7 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Monday, began with explosions and fireballs around 10:30 a.m., attracting fire trucks and ambulances to the airfield southwest of the terminal.

Topics

air travel Memphis International Airport mock disaster
Wayne Risher

Wayne Risher

Business news reporter, 43-year veteran of print journalism, 35-year resident of Memphis, University of Georgia alumnus and proud father and spouse of University of Memphis graduates.

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