A devastating incident happened Tuesday night as a Japan Airlines (JAL) plane carrying hundreds of passengers collided with an earthquake relief aircraft upon landing at Tokyo’s Haneda airport, resulting in the loss of five lives.
The catastrophic event unfolded as the Airbus A350-900 aircraft (tail number JL13XJ), arriving from the northern Japanese city of Sapporo at 1747H local time, burst into flames on the runway. Shocking footage captured the moment a massive fireball engulfed the plane, leaving behind a fiery trail.
Thankfully, all 379 passengers on JAL flight 516, including eight children under the age of two, were safely evacuated, according to the airline. However, the second aircraft involved in the collision, operated by the Japan Coast Guard, experienced tragic consequences.
Five crew members on the Japan Coast Guard’s De Havilland Canada DHC-8 lost their lives, with the aircraft’s captain reported to be in critical condition, as stated by Japan’s transport minister, Tetsuo Saito. Eleven passengers from JAL flight 516 were either transported to a hospital or an airport clinic, with no immediate details provided about their injuries.
The coast guard aircraft, a Bombardier Dash-8, was engaged in earthquake relief efforts, with a total of six people on board. Regrettably, all five fatalities in this incident were associated with the coast guard plane, as confirmed by the police.
After the collision, the scene at Haneda airport depicted the JAL plane at a standstill, with passengers utilizing emergency slides to escape the unfolding inferno. Firefighters worked tirelessly to combat the growing flames, dispatching over 100 fire trucks to the scene, as reported by NHK, Japan’s public broadcaster.
The incident has sparked investigations into the circumstances surrounding the collision, raising questions about aviation safety protocols and the coordination of relief efforts during such challenging times. As authorities delve into the details, the aviation community mourns the lives lost in this tragic accident at Haneda airport.
