THURSDAY’S Crash and Rescue Exercise by the Manila International Airport Authority (Miaa), responding to a simulated fatal crash of a domestic airplane from Cebu that crashed-landed on runway 13-31, went smoothly for a while until a blunder occurred.

Three airport fire trucks were on the scene in five minutes, preceded by an ambulance, and 150 rescuers in red shirts bused in promptly evacuated the 114 “victims” inside the burning plane and carried them appropriately to designated places.

But it was noted that the response was immediate—a matter of five minutes—because when the “accident” occurred, the fire trucks and ambulance were already on standby near Runway 13; they should have started from their respective stations.

The blunder was pointed out by members of the Airline Operators Council (AOC), who noted the inaccuracy in the execution.

“This is not a simulation, it’s a script,” the AOC said.

Vicente Guerzon, Miaa general manager for Emergency and Security Service, admitted the lapse and said they will note other negative observations to be corrected next time a similar exercise is held.