News Release: Full-Scale Emergency Exercise at MidAmerica St. Louis Airport Helps Strengthen Emergency Response Readiness

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Exercise involving a fictional aircraft mishap took place Sept. 23

MASCOUTAH, Ill. (Sept. 25, 2026) – A full-scale emergency exercise featuring nearly 100 first responders and local volunteer actors was conducted Sept. 23 at MidAmerica St. Louis Airport to test and strengthen regional emergency response capabilities. The exercise took place from approximately 9 to 11:30 a.m. and brought multiple agencies and organizations together to respond to a fictional aircraft mishap. Full-scale emergency exercises of this nature are conducted every three years by MidAmerica St. Louis Airport and other certificated airports to meet Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) requirements under FAR Part 139.

 

The fictional scenario involved an aircraft that experienced an engine fire during engine run-up, triggering an emergency response and passenger evacuation. Represented by a Scott Air Force Base C-40 (B737), the aircraft served as the focal point of the exercise, while two Metro Transit buses were used to simulate portions of the aircraft during rescue operations. First responders from across the region quickly mobilized to assess the scene, assist with passenger evacuations, provide medical care to volunteer actors portraying injured passengers and coordinate response efforts. Emergency crews also worked to contain and extinguish the simulated fire. Access to MidAmerica St. Louis Airport was temporarily restricted during the exercise to ensure public safety and facilitate training activities.

 

“This year’s scenario challenged our teams to respond to an emergency unfolding before takeoff, providing a valuable opportunity to test evacuation procedures, fire suppression, medical response and incident command operations in real time,” said Darren James, Director of MidAmerica St. Louis Airport. “The coordinated response we saw today reflects the preparation and strong working relationships among the airport and our regional partners, and we are grateful to everyone who helped make the exercise successful.”

 

Multiple organizations and agencies collaborated during the Sept. 23 exercise, demonstrating timely communication of critical information, effective interagency coordination and the ability to operate in a cohesive incident command structure. Organizations and agencies with first responders and volunteers participating in the exercise included MidAmerica St. Louis Airport, Abbot EMS, Mascoutah EMS, Mascoutah Fire Department, MedStar Ambulance, Memorial Hospital, O’Fallon Fire Department, Scott Air Force Base Fire Department, St. Clair County Emergency Management Agency, St. Clair County Health Department and St. Clair County Sherrif’s Department.

 

“Exercises like this allow our first responders and partner agencies to practice working as one team before an actual emergency occurs,” said St. Clair County Board Chairman Mark Kern. “By testing communication, coordination and decision-making in a realistic setting, we can identify what works well, strengthen our countywide response and help ensure we are ready when the community needs us most.”

 

For more information about MidAmerica St. Louis Airport, visit FlyMidAmerica.com.

MidAmerica St. Louis Airport 
MidAmerica St. Louis Airport is located in Mascoutah, Illinois, in the eastern portion of the St. Louis metropolitan area. Passenger service to a variety of popular destinations is offered by Allegiant. Major multimodal rail and inland port centers are located within 22 miles of the airport, which also enjoys easy access to five interstate highways via I-64.  With parallel runways of 8,000 and 10,000 feet, the airport can handle simultaneous take-offs and landings in all conditions, minimizing delays. It has an annual capacity of 200,000 operations. Tenants include Boeing, which has a manufacturing facility at the airport and North Bay Produce, an international, grower-owned, year-round, fresh produce marketing and distribution cooperative headquartered in Traverse City, Mich. MidAmerica is a Joint Use Airport partnering with Scott AFB, the home to US Transportation Command, a multi service organization, and Air Mobility Command, the USAF’s component command for airlift. MidAmerica and the 375th Air Mobility Wing operate Scott AFB/MidAmerica St. Louis Airport. 

MidAmerica St. Louis Airport Conducts Emergency Response Exercise

By Carmelo Turdo

MidAmerica St. Louis Airport in Mascoutah, IL conducted an emergency response training exercise on September 26 as part of the FAA's certification requirements for the airport. Along with the MidAmerica St. Louis Airport and Scott AFB first responders, crews from Mascoutah and St. Clair County also participated. Members of the local media were invited to observe the activity, and The Aero Experience coverage begins with the initial briefing from Airport Director Darren James.

"Every three years we have to run a full-scale exercise, so that is exactly what we're doing," James told the media before the exercise began. "We need to prove to the FAA we have the ability to handle air carrier emergencies, specifically, an aircraft accident."

Airport Director James emphasized four objectives to accomplish during the exercise: Effective communication among agencies and personnel involved; appropriate response from emergency services; operational incident command; and activation of the air carrier emergency plan. The scenario involved a KC-135 from the 126th Air Refueling Wing based at Scott AFB posing as a commercial airliner that made an emergency landing following a bird strike that damaged one engine (assuming it to be an Airbus with only two engines). The two buses beside the aircraft simulated an open aircraft fuselage requiring rescue of ambulatory and immobile passenger victims. 

The pictorial below illustrates the order of emergency responders arriving on scene as they assess and react to the situation:

 

MidAmerica St. Louis Airport is located adjacent to Scott AFB and receives both military and civilian air traffic, including Allegiant Airlines Airbus A319 and A320 commercial aircraft that serve twelve non-stop regular and seasonal destinations. Successful application of a mass emergency response plan is critical to the continued operation of both the commercial and large tanker and transport aircraft that regularly use the facility. The Aero Experience thanks MidAmerica St. Louis Airport management and everyone who participated in this important emergency response exercise.

St. Louis Downtown Airport Participates In Regional Readiness Exercise

By Carmelo Turdo

St. Louis Downtown Airport participated in a regional readiness exercise Thursday involving first responders, local health departments and hospitals from 15 counties in the bi-state area. The exercise is part of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Cities Readiness Initiative to test the Regional Extended Dispersing Policy in response to a simulated terrorist attack involving a release of anthrax. St. Louis Downtown Airport is one of three dispersing points in the St. Louis area for medicine and medical personnel in response to an anthrax outbreak. 

Emergency and terrorism response vehicles were stationed in the airport's main parking lot, including an EMS Triage and Treatment Vehicle and a Divisional Expedient Shelter Systems tent provided by MABAS - Mutual Aid Box Alarm System. MABAS works with the Illinois Emergency Management Agency to respond to disaster situations and partners with over 1600 fire stations. Standardization of operations and methods makes MABAS compatible with nearly any deployment host location.

The most visually spectacular portion of the exercise, though somewhat confusing because of its visibility, was the response to a planned fire set in the hay-stuffed fuselage of a Cessna 310 positioned on the west apron of the airport. The aircraft was prepared and intentionally lit by firefighters about 1:30 P.M. and allowed to burn for a minute before the airport and Sauget, IL firefighters arrived at the scene. The purpose of the aircraft crash scenario was to test the response of the various agencies to an interruption in the distribution of medical supplies to affected victims caused by the event of a purposely-crashed aircraft. The response from the firefighters was part of the exercise plan, but not a test of the rescue capacity of the airport's fire department. Response to aircraft emergencies and in drills at the airport has historically been measured in seconds, and the purposeful prolonging of the crash/fire event was designed to accomplish the objectives of the overall exercise.

 

The crash/fire portion of the exercise was completed in about twenty minutes, during which time multiple fire departments and other agencies carried through with their response. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention requires regional exercises like this one every five years.

The Aero Experience thanks St. Louis Downtown Airport, Bi-State Development and all who participated in today's regional readiness exercise. Some material for this story was provided by the Illinois Department of Public Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.