Plane with 379 Souls on Board Bursts into Flames at Tokyo Airport After a Collision, 5 Die

While landing on the runway at Haneda airport in Tokyo, a Japan Airlines plane collided with a smaller Coast Guard aircraft on Tuesday. The former burst into flames and burnt down to its fuselage, killing five members of the crew from the other plane. TV footage showed many fire trucks at the scene as smoke and flames billowed from the Japanese plane, an Airbus A350.

The Airbus had departed from Sapporo in Hokkaido’s northern province and was scheduled to arrive at Haneda Airport by approximately 5:40 p.m. It was carrying 367 passengers and 12 crew members. The coastguard aircraft, on the other hand, was one of four planes deployed to deliver relief supplies to the region affected by the powerful earthquake that struck western Japan on Monday.

Following the collision, the passenger plane went up in flames, killing five out of the six Coast Guard crew members in the other plane. The only survivor from the other plane was the captain, who was severely injured. However, all 379 passengers and crew in the Japan Airlines plane were safely evacuated.

One of the passengers reported feeling a jolt upon landing, followed by sparks and smoke filling the cabin. Videos showed the plane engulfed in flames as passengers escaped via evacuation slides and headed for the tarmac. About 14 individuals from the flight sustained minor injuries. Given the degree of damage the plane, an Airbus A350, suffered, it is a miracle that all of its passengers and crew survived. Air safety experts praised the crew for this outcome.

On the other hand, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida expressed regret for the loss of the Coast Guard crew members. In his words, “This is a great regret as the crew members performed their duties with a strong sense of mission and responsibility for the victims of the disaster area”. He further remarked that the accident would not hinder relief efforts in the earthquake-shaken areas of the country.

The incident disrupted travel plans for thousands of passengers as all four runways at Haneda were closed. The cause of the collision is unclear, and an investigation is underway to determine how and when the two aircraft came into contact.

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