A fiery scene unfolded at Haneda Airport in Tokyo on Tuesday as a Japan Airlines jet erupted into flames after a ground collision with a Japan Coast Guard aircraft.
367 passengers and 12 crew members were on board the JAL Airbus A350 at the time of the runway collision, which resulted in injuries to as many as 17 people on board. All the passengers were able to safely evacuate, Japan Times reported.
Five individuals on board the Coast Guard aircraft, a Bombardier-built Dash-8 maritime patrol plane, were killed during the incident. The surviving captain reportedly sustained significant injuries.
The JAL aircraft collided with the Coast Guard plane shortly after landing on runway C, after arriving from New Chitose Airport in Hokkaido.
The departing Japanese Coast Guard aircraft was scheduled to fly to Niigata Prefecture on a supply mission to aid the area impacted by a 7.6 magnitude earthquake that struck central Japan this week.
Ground crews at Haneda Airport were reportedly unable to control the blaze as it enveloped the JAL aircraft after passengers and crew had safely evacuated.
🇯🇵 | Imágenes del interior del vuelo JL516 de Japan Airlines, inmediatamente después de la colisión con un avión de la Guardia Costera japonesa en el Aeropuerto Internacional de Tokio-Haneda. https://t.co/LpHgx9W2I1 pic.twitter.com/g4QLw60Kc3
— ALERTAS MUNDIAL 🗺️ (@AlertasMundial) January 2, 2024
Haneda Airport was closed after the Tuesday incident, according to Reuters, citing recordings made available on liveatc.net, which streams live air traffic communications from airports around the world.
Video and images on social media were uploaded by passengers, conveying the frightening situation unfolding from within the aircraft.
Hundreds of domestic flights destined for Haneda Airport were reportedly cancelled on Tuesday.
Japan’s Transport Ministry says that currently the cause of the crash remains unclear, and investigations by Japan’s Transport Safety Board will remain underway.
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