A Regional Express fixed-wing aircraft and a helicopter crossed paths, collided and crashed to the ground.

Emergency services from across the shire responded to the scene where they found debris scattered along the western side of the runway, dying passengers and the dead.

The airport was closed immediately and rescuers started transporting survivors to Pambula District Hospital, while investigators attempted to find the cause of the disaster.

Luckily the scene did not reflect a true disaster.

The scenario was set up for the Far South Coast emergency services as part of their emergency response training.

The mock emergency combined the SES, Volunteer Rescue Association, NSW Ambulance Service, Pambula and Merimbula Rural Fire Services, Merimbula Fire Brigade, local police, the Disaster Victims Identification Unit and radio technicians into one exercise.

The purpose of the exercise was to test interagency response to a significant disaster, Department of Health processes for dealing with multiple injuries and the Merimbula Airport Emergency Plan.

Members of the Merimbula and Pambula Rotary Clubs volunteered as victims or concerned family members in the exercise.

The mock emergency was staged to be as real as possible; the public was denied entry, media was restrained, while family members jostled for answers.

Local Area Command Inspector Jason Edmunds said the exercise ran smoothly.

“It was a good test for our emergency response teams and the Merimbula Airport Disaster Plan,” he said.

“All the agencies worked very well together in the inclement weather.

“We are especially grateful to all the volunteers and Rotary for their support, without their assistance we would have been wasting out time.

“I would also like to thank the Merimbula journalist who was arrested on two occasions.”