Officials at Honolulu Airport received praise from the Federal Aviation Administration for their performance during an Oct. 5 triennial exercise of their emergency response to a simulated crash of a commercial airliner.

"A review of past exercise records of the Honolulu Airport yielded many shortfalls in the area of direction and control, sense of urgency, duties and responsibilities of emergency responders and support personnel," Juan S.A. Reyes, FAA airport certification safety inspector, said in a letter to airport officials.

"I can assure you that this was not the case at (the) exercise. I viewed the actions of all involved to be (commendable) as this was also executed in a safe manner never once compromising personnel safety," he wrote.

Airport officials on Saturday had to initiate emergency procedures similar to the exercise when a DC-10 military jetliner with 20 people aboard made an emergency landing after losing power in one of its three engines, state Department of Transportation spokesman Dan Meisenzahl said.

"Everybody responded like the day of the exercise, and fortunately it landed safely," he said.

The Oct. 5 certification requirement for the FAA involved about 250 volunteers from the University of Hawaii, Hawaii Pacific University, Chaminade University and airport personnel who played victims.