A simulated disaster at Little Rock’s Bill and Hillary Clinton National Airport on Tuesday tested the effectiveness of emergency responders and administrators.

The scenario: a flock of ducks are sucked into an engine during takeoff, and the plane is forced to make an emergency landing – except, the landing gear doesn’t deploy, leading to a crash.

The airport’s public information officer Shane Carter says the simulation tests the coordination of multiple agencies.

Full-scale disaster drill tests LR airport's emergency preparedness

*Nathan Treece/Little Rock Public Radio*
Emergency responders test their skills during a simulated disaster at the Clinton National Airport in Little Rock on April 15, 2025.

KUAR | By Mary Hennigan / Arkansas Advocate

From the Arkansas Advocate:

After Little Rock’s police chief declined to answer questions Monday about the fatal shooting of a Little Rock airport executive in March, an Arkansas legislative committee granted its chair the power to issue subpoenas to help its review of the case.

Sen. Alan Clark, R-Lonsdale, a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, made the motion immediately following testimony from Little Rock Police Chief Heath Helton, who said City Attorney Tom Carpenter advised him not to comment on the shooting due to ongoing litigation.

“Certainly the people of Arkansas expect us to ask questions,” Clark said. “And not only do they expect us to ask questions, they expect us to get answers — and you get answers however you can get answers.”

Arkansas committee approves subpoena power to learn more about airport executive’s death