In a devastating turn of events, a Japanese coast guard aircraft and a large passenger plane collided on the runway at Tokyo’s Haneda Airport on Tuesday, resulting in a fiery inferno that claimed the lives of five crew members aboard the coast guard plane. The incident unfolded during the landing of Japan Airlines flight JAL-516, an Airbus A350, which miraculously saw all 379 passengers disembark safely before the aircraft engulfed in flames.
Transport Minister Tetsuo Saito confirmed that the pilot of the coast guard’s Bombardier Dash-8 plane managed to escape the wreckage. The tragic collision occurred as the coast guard aircraft, bound for delivering aid to an earthquake-affected area, was preparing for takeoff.
Dramatic scenes unfolded as television footage captured the moment of impact, showing an orange fireball erupting from the Japan Airlines plane upon collision. The airliner continued down the runway, spewing smoke from its side. Quick response measures taken, and within 20 minutes, all passengers and crew members successfully evacuated using emergency chutes.
Firefighters battled the blaze, which spread to the passenger plane’s wing, eventually causing the aircraft to collapse. Despite the intensity of the fire, it took approximately six hours to fully extinguish the flames.
This unfortunate incident marks the first severe damage to an Airbus A350, one of the aviation industry’s newest and advanced large passenger planes, which has been in commercial service since 2015. Airbus expressed its commitment to aiding Japanese and French officials in the investigation, sending specialists to assist in determining the cause of the collision.
The ill-fated A350 had flown from Shin Chitose airport near the city of Sapporo, according to statements from the transport minister. As the investigation unfolds, the aviation community mourns the loss of lives and grapples with the aftermath of this tragic collision at Tokyo’s Haneda Airport.
