A passenger plane and a Japanese coast guard aircraft collided on the runway at Tokyo’s Haneda Airport on Tuesday, erupting into flames and resulting in the tragic death of five individuals aboard the smaller plane.
Transport Minister Tetsuo Saito confirmed that all 379 passengers on Japan Airlines flight JAL-516 managed to evacuate safely before the aircraft was engulfed in flames. However, the pilot of the coast guard plane escaped, while the five crew members lost their lives in the collision and subsequent fire.
This marks the first severe damage to an Airbus A350, one of the industry’s newest large passenger planes, which entered commercial service in 2015. The Airbus company has pledged to collaborate with Japanese and French authorities to investigate the incident, stating that the aircraft was delivered to Japan Airlines in late 2021.
The ill-fated A350 had flown from Shin Chitose airport near Sapporo, according to the transport minister.
The coast guard’s Bombardier Dash-8 plane, based at Haneda, was en route to Niigata to deliver relief goods following a deadly earthquake in the region on Monday. The coast guard pilot reported an explosion after the collision with the commercial plane, as confirmed by Vice Commander Yoshio Seguchi.
Shigenori Hiraoka, head of the Transport Ministry Civil Aviation Bureau, stated that the collision occurred when the JAL plane landed on one of Haneda’s runways, where the coast guard aircraft was preparing for takeoff. Investigations are underway to determine the cause of the collision, with a focus on communication between aviation control officials and the two planes.
Passengers aboard the Japan Airlines plane described scenes of panic as smoke filled the cabin. Emergency procedures were followed, with passengers evacuating the plane as swiftly as possible. Transport Minister Saito commended JAL for executing “appropriate procedures” to ensure the safety of all passengers and crew.
Despite the tragedy, officials are working to prevent delays in delivering relief goods to the disaster-hit region. The airport’s three other runways have been reopened.
Haneda, one of Tokyo’s major airports, caters to international and transcontinental flights, making it a hub for business travelers. The International Air Transport Association expressed condolences on social media, acknowledging the challenging times Japan is facing.