A large passenger plane and a Japanese Coast Guard aircraft collided on the runway at Tokyo Haneda Airport on Tuesday, igniting a fire that resulted in the deaths of five people on the Coast Guard plane, according to officials.
The Collision and Incident
All 379 people on board Japan Airlines flight JAL-516 managed to escape safely before the Airbus A350 was completely consumed by flames, Transport Minister Tetsuo Saito confirmed.
The Coast Guard pilot was able to escape, but the five crew members aboard the aircraft perished, according to Saito’s statement. The plane was preparing to take off to deliver aid to an area affected by a major earthquake on Monday, officials said.
The Fire and Destruction
Television footage showed an orange fireball erupting from the Japan Airlines aircraft as it collided with the Coast Guard plane during landing, with the aircraft starting to emit smoke from one side as it continued down the runway. Within 20 minutes, all passengers and crew had slid down emergency slides to get away from the plane.
As firefighters attempted to extinguish the blaze with a barrage of water, the area around the wing of the aircraft caught fire. Flames spread throughout the aircraft, which eventually collapsed. The fire was extinguished after about six hours.
The Investigation and Security Measures
Police are expected to investigate the incident on suspicion of professional negligence, according to an NHK television report.
Coast Guard spokesperson Yoshinori Yanagishima stated that the Bombardier Dash-8 aircraft stationed at Haneda was supposed to head to Niigata to deliver relief goods to residents affected by a deadly earthquake in the area on Monday. The Dash-8 turboprop is widely used for short and metropolitan flights.
Coast Guard Deputy Commander Yoshio Siguchi informed reporters that the Coast Guard pilot reported to his base that his aircraft had exploded after colliding with the commercial plane.
Survival and Injuries
All passengers and crew slid down emergency slides within 20 minutes of landing and survived. Some passengers in media interviews expressed relief only after reaching a grassy area outside the runway.
The airline reported that four passengers were transported to a medical facility, and injuries are being evaluated. NHK reported that 14 other people were injured.
The Impact on the Airport and Flights
The Transport Minister stated that officials are doing their utmost to prevent any delays in the delivery of relief goods and other operations in the disaster-affected area. Transportation officials confirmed that three other runways at the airport have reopened.
Haneda Airport is one of the two main airports serving the Japanese capital and is used by many international and intercontinental flights. It is particularly favored by business travelers due to its proximity to parts of downtown.
The Aircraft and Airline
The twin-engine, wide-body Airbus A350 is used by a number of long-haul international airlines. According to Airbus, more than 570 of these aircraft are currently in operation.
The Japanese airline operates 16 A350-900 aircraft, according to its website. It recently announced details of 13 of the latest A350-1000 aircraft it intends to introduce into service, stating that they will become “the airline’s new flagship for international service after nearly 20 years.” The first of those aircraft arrived a few weeks ago and is designated for the route between Haneda and New York’s John F. Kennedy Airport.
The International Air Transport Association stated on the social media platform X that its thoughts are with the passengers on board both aircraft, saying that “the last two days have been difficult for Japan.”
The news was reported by Yamaguchi in Kyoto, Japan. Contributing were Adam Shrik in Osaka, Japan, and Jan M. Olsen in Copenhagen, Denmark.
Source:
https://apnews.com/article/plane-fire-japan-793607548e45a80b8ccc8721fb3c5016
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