In a harrowing incident at Tokyo's Haneda airport, all passengers and crew on board a Japan Airlines (JAL) Airbus A350-900 experienced a "miracle" escape after a deadly collision with a coastguard plane on the runway. The smaller coastguard aircraft, a De Havilland Canada DHC-8, was waiting to deliver aid to the earthquake-hit Noto peninsula.
The JAL flight burst into flames immediately after landing, striking the coastguard plane. Despite the severity of the collision, the captain managed to bring the burning aircraft to a stop. The evacuation process was deemed miraculous as all 379 passengers, including eight children, and 12 crew members successfully fled the smoke-filled cabin using inflatable slides at the front of the plane.
Tragically, five crew members on the coastguard plane lost their lives in the collision, while the captain managed to escape with injuries. The Tokyo fire department reported that 14 individuals evacuated from the JAL plane suffered minor injuries, including burns to the throat.
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The collision occurred when the JAL passenger plane landed on runway C, where the coastguard aircraft was also preparing to take off. Experts and witnesses described the evacuation as miraculous, given the severity of the impact and subsequent fire. Passengers spoke of their terror upon hearing the initial impact, witnessing flames, and the cabin filling with smoke.
Investigations are underway to determine the circumstances leading to the collision. The evacuation process and communication between air traffic control and the planes will be central to the inquiry. The incident led to the suspension of domestic flights for the day at Haneda airport, with international flights operating as scheduled. The tragedy struck a somber note as the coastguard plane crew was en route to deliver aid to victims of a recent earthquake.
The Australian prime minister confirmed that 12 Australians were on board during the crash, all of whom escaped uninjured. The aviation community and authorities express their condolences and gratitude to the crew members who lost their lives while on a mission to assist those affected by the earthquake.