Officials prepare for disaster drill at McCarran International Airport

There will be smoke rising from McCarran International Airport this morning, but no fire.

Instead, it will be one of the special effects of the disaster drill required by the Federal Aviation Administration once every three years. The exercise calls for an "emergency incident" to befall a Boeing 767 flown by the fictional Trans-Pacific Airlines on one of the airport runways. Local fire, police and medical personnel will then be tested on their reactions. Rescue helicopters and ambulances will be brought in as well.

The drill will begin about 9 a.m. - the exact time will not be divulged to retain some element of surprise - and run until about noon. About 100 U.S. Air Force members have volunteered to act as victims.