Darren YeohFollowing the devastating earthquake in Western Japan on 1 Jan 2024, chaos erupted at Tokyo’s Haneda Airport just a day later on Tuesday, 2 Jan 2024, when a Japan Airlines (JAL) Airbus A350 collided with a Japan Coast Guard aircraft on landing.
Japan Airlines Flight 516 catches fire
JAL flight 516, carrying 367 passengers and 12 crew, collided with a Japan Coast Guard De Havilland Canada DHC-8 aircraft upon landing and burst into flames, sending passengers scrambling to evacuate using emergency slides. Tweets on social media platform X showed footage of the aircraft engulfed in flames, particularly around the engine area, with emergency services putting out the fire.
A real situation showing the #JapanAirlines flight which engulfed in firepic.twitter.com/qk4J7fRZK8
— Varun Rayen (@varunrayen) January 2, 2024
Video captures passengers escaping a burning Japan Airlines plane on the runway of Tokyo’s Haneda Airport after it landed and burst into flames.
It’s reported to have collided with a Japan Coast Guard plane on the tarmac ⤵️ pic.twitter.com/6iVBjyRckB
— Al Jazeera English (@AJEnglish) January 2, 2024
Miraculously, all 379 people on board the Japan Airlines flight escaped the burning aircraft with their lives, although 17 passengers were reported to have suffered minor injuries from the crash. Sadly, however, five crew members of the Coast Guard aircraft, which was deployed for earthquake relief efforts in Niigata Prefecture, lost their lives in the tragic incident. The captain of the aircraft is critically injured and currently being warded at the time of writing.
Flight disruptions at Haneda Airport
Following the crash, both Japan Airlines and the French aviation agency have sent teams to probe the incident. Flight disruptions were widespread, with most departures from Haneda Airport cancelled for an extended period, with numerous flights being diverted to other airports.
The incident brings to light the importance of aviation safety and ground operations at major airports. However, kudos have to be given to the crew of JAL flight 516 for the rapid evacuation and the effectiveness of their emergency procedures, which potentially prevented greater loss of life.
Aftermath
Following the incident, Japan’s Prime Minister Fumio Kishida expressed condolences for the deceased coast guard members and acknowledged their mission to assist earthquake victims. As investigations are still ongoing, more details are expected to emerge in the coming hours and days. Our thoughts go out to the families of the victims and those affected by this tragedy.
Featured image credit: Bangladesh News 24 via X
