In a devastating incident at Tokyo’s Haneda Airport on Tuesday, a Japan Airlines (JAL) plane collided with a Japan Coast Guard aircraft, resulting in a fiery eruption that claimed the lives of five individuals on board the coast guard plane.
The Airbus A-350, operating as JAL Flight 516, had just landed at Haneda Airport after departing from Shin Chitose airport. Shocking images captured by NHK showed the aircraft moving along the runway before a massive explosion of orange flames engulfed it.
All 367 passengers, including eight children, and the 12 crew members on the JAL plane managed to evacuate safely, as reported by NHK. However, the tragic loss of life occurred among the occupants of the coast guard aircraft.
Tetsuo Saito, Japan’s transport minister, confirmed the casualties, stating, “Regarding the coast guard plane, we have been informed that the captain escaped, and five people were confirmed dead.”
The Japan Coast Guard is currently investigating the incident, focusing on the possibility of a collision between their aircraft and the JAL plane. Earlier reports suggested that the coast guard plane was scheduled to participate in rescue efforts following a massive earthquake in central Japan.
Haneda Airport, one of the world’s busiest, has closed all runways in the aftermath of the incident. Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has instructed relevant agencies to swiftly assess the damage.
Dramatic footage, purportedly filmed by a passenger inside the JAL aircraft, revealed flames erupting from beneath the plane before the cabin filled with smoke. The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism is currently conducting a thorough investigation into the cause of the collision.
The tragic event marks a rare and severe incident in Japan’s aviation history, with the country not experiencing a serious commercial aviation accident in decades. The last major aviation disaster occurred in 1985, involving a JAL jumbo jet that crashed in the central Gunma region, claiming the lives of 520 passengers and crew.