Airline companies, the Director of the International Paris Airport, and sanitary and administrative authorities of the Seine-Saint-Denis Dpt of SAMU were asked to organize a simulation of an aircraft crash on the site of the Charles-de-Gaulle airport. The two main purposes of this simulation were to check the efficiency of the rescue means from a technical point of view, the delays in the organization, and the coordination of services.

The scenario was an accident during take-off of a big jet. The fuselage of the plane was in three parts. There was an intense fire in the middle one. The crash happened at the end of the runway, on soft ground which was normally unapproachable for ordinary vehicles. The casualties were distributed according to aircraft accidents statistics; 200 military personnel and 30 volunteers of Civil Security participated. The victims were classified into 5 groups: 1) uninjured (30 in front and 40 in rear); 2) slightly injured (15 in frontand 15 in rear); 3) severely wounded (8 in front 4 in center, and 8 in rear); 4) critically injured (5 in front, 6 in center, and 4 in rear)); and 5) dead (95 in center).

The injured were simulated by first aid workers who had been trained and made up so as to be seen by the rescuers. Besides, they were given a tag on which was indicated the group, the types of injuries, the delay of survival without care, the necessary time for the diagnosis, and the appreciation of the victims.