Take a look at 21 pictures from a major mid-air collision training exercise in Northampton

Emergency services from across Northamptonshire came together on Tuesday, May 13, for what organisers described as “one of the biggest exercises we’ve ever done.”

The large-scale training event, held in the St James area of Northampton, simulated a mid-air collision between a helicopter and a jet, involving over 300 people, including students acting as casualties.

Deputy Chief Constable Ash Tuckley of Northamptonshire Police said: “I’m the Deputy Chief Constable in Northamptonshire, but also, specifically for today, Local Resilience Forward Chair, which is where all of our different partner agencies come together. That’s Police, Fire, Health, Military – in today’s exercise, the RAF – Local Authority.

“We come together to plan, prepare, and respond to major incidents in our county, including the recovery phase,” he added.

The exercise was designed to test how agencies respond to a complex, high-risk event involving serious injuries, fuel risks, and widespread damage.

Deputy Chief Constable Tuckley described it as “one of the biggest exercises we’ve ever done,” adding, “It’s certainly the biggest we’ve done in the last 10, 15 years.”

He continued: “You can test plans on tabletops and conduct individual agency tests, but it’s only when you bring those plans together that you can see if they will actually work in real life.”

The exercise, which was 18 months in the planning, focused on a mid-air collision scenario but was designed to test response plans for a variety of major incidents.

Deputy Chief Constable Tuckley said: “Though the scenario was aviation-based, the principles we’re testing apply across all types of emergencies. We’ve got aircraft, fuel risks, and multiple casualties – all of which can be adapted for other incidents.”

The simulation runs over two days, with the second day dedicated to recovery. He said: “We’re very much in the response phase now. Recovery will start tomorrow.”

He added: “So far, so good. A lot of learning has already come out of this. If there weren’t any lessons, it would mean we hadn’t done it properly.”

Deputy Chief Constable Tuckley also thanked the volunteers and the local community for their patience during the exercise. He saidL “Thank you to everyone involved, especially the community, who’ve been really patient with the disruptions.”