On September 21, 2009,
the full-scale trainings on recovery of aviation accident
took place at the Almaty International Airport

According to the International Civil Aviation organization standards (ICAO) such trainings must be held at least 1 time per two years.

A Flight Control Officer has passed on a warning signal via AGIS-20 public address to the crash-rescue team of Almaty International Airport JSC and to the Aviation Technical Centre. Such information has been sent to the single duty dispatcher service of the city on the phone number 112 through the airport dispatcher service. Civil defense and emergency, aviation procuracy, and other relevant bodies have been alerted. Managers of rescue operations are taking decision on closing of the aerodrome as agreed with the Flight Control Officer.

The first who comes after the warning signal has been sent out is fire and rescue vehicles of the Rescue service of ALA JSC. The Rescue service of the airport has the latest rescue and fire techniques, having high dynamic quality, equipped with the state-of-the-art fire-extinguishing equipment that ensures a maximum level (under ICAO standards) required for the airfield fire protection.

The major advantage of fire tenders is that they can reach any end of runway within 3-4 minutes, simultaneously carry more than 60 tons of fire extinguishing agent, and there is a remote control for fire pumps and gun carriage in driver’s cub of each fire tender as well. The Rescue service vehicles ensure carbon-dioxide, water-foamy and dry powder extinction.

Except for the abovementioned vehicles the service has support special rescue technique in the inventory that ensures all types of rescue operations on aircraft in distress. Namely creeper tractor, wheeled tractor, autostair, communication and 2 lighting vehicles and having local 12KWt and 20KWt electric generator. The technique ensures rescue operations at night.

Having assessed the situation, the first fire tender immediately starts foaming from a cabin-controlled monitor, and next fire tenders start tactical activation and begin to extinguish, and another fire tender cools the aircraft fuselage. Other technique moves closer to the scene of the accident. According to the rescue operations manager’s decision one of the fire tenders must stand by to render support to the vehicles fighting a fire.

All equipments of the crash-rescue team, namely facilities of aviation engineering service, passenger handling department, aerodrome service, cargo handling service, special transport service, and aviation security service are ripe for action as per the emergency plan. Aviation security service encircles the site of the occurrence and maintains the access control.

The fire has been thoroughly extinguished in 4 minutes. Passengers of the aircraft have been evacuated and rendered firs aid.