The Outer Harbour Heliport conducted a full scale exercise last night (20 May) to test and train the various participating units and personnel on their capacity to respond to emergency situations.

The exercise simulated the accident of a helicopter carrying 2 crew members and 2 passengers. Shortly after taking off from the Macau Outer Harbour Heliport, the helicopter encountered a tail rotor drive failure, resulting in a forced heavy landing on the main pad, with some components detached from the aircraft and scattered on the ground. The 2 crew members were uninjured, but the 2 passengers suffered from severe injuries.

After the accident occurred, the helicopter airfield immediately activated emergency response procedures. Upon receipt of the notification, all participating units arrived at the command center. With the assistance of the Macao Customs, the staff and the passengers were safely guided to the evacuation point. The Fire Services promptly dispatched rescue vehicles and firemen to the scene, providing preliminary care for the injured and simulating the transfer of the injured passengers to the hospital.

The exercise began last night at 8pm and lasted about 1 hour, with around 100 participants, and 7 fire and rescue vehicles deployed. The process went smoothly. The exercise was coordinated by the East Asia Airlines (the helicopter service operator in Hong Kong and Macao). The participants were the Macao Customs, the Public Security Police Force, the Fire Services, the Health Services, the Marine and Water Bureau, and the Civil Aviation Authority.