A Japan Airlines Airbus A350-900 XWB Flight No. JAL 516 collided with another Coast Guard aircraft carrying earthquake relief material during landing resulting in flames. The whole aircraft was engulfed in flames after the incident struck and got destroyed completely. The aircraft was carrying 379 people on board including the passengers and crew.
All the passengers and crew were safely evacuated from the Japan Airlines flight safely but the impact resulted in 5 casualties in the Coast Guard Aircraft occupant. One person onboard the Coast Guard aircraft managed to escape the aircraft.
The flight originated from Sapporo on Hokkaido island and was scheduled to land at Haneda Airport at 6:00 PM local time (09:00 GMT). All flights at Haneda Airport have been suspended temporarily after the incident. More than 70 firefighting vehicles responded to the runway as the fire raged. The fire was still burning about two hours after the landing.
A tragic incident involving a De Havilland Canada DHC-8 operated by the Japan Coast Guard (JCG) unfolded, resulting in the deaths of five crew members and critical injuries to the plane’s captain. Simultaneously, a Japan Airlines (JAL) aircraft reported 17 injuries among its passengers, but specific details about the injuries remain undisclosed. The Japan Coast Guard’s plane was en route from Haneda airport to Niigata prefecture to aid in relief efforts following a 7.5-magnitude earthquake when the fire occurred. Video footage captured the distressing scene of the aircraft ablaze on the runway, prompting emergency evacuations using slides as firefighters battled the flames.
Japan Airlines is actively investigating the cause of the plane fire, while details regarding the injuries sustained and the precise circumstances of the incident are anticipated to emerge as the inquiry progresses. The severity of the situation prompted the dispatch of over 100 fire trucks to respond to the accident. The gravity of this tragic event is underscored by the loss of lives, injuries sustained, and the urgent need for a thorough investigation into the circumstances surrounding the aircraft fire.
