Five members of the six-person Coast Guard crew were killed on Tuesday (January 2) after their plane collided with a Japan Airlines aircraft on the runway of Haneda Airport, according to local media reports. The ill-fated Coast Guard aircraft was identified as an MA72 fixed-wing plane.
What we know so far:
1. Japan Airlines Flight 516, an Airbus A350 with 379 people on board, collided with a Coast Guard plane at Tokyo Airport. The other plane had 6 people on board.
2. The Japan Airlines plane burst into flames upon landing but all passengers were able to…
— BNO News (@BNONews) January 2, 2024
The incident unfolded a day after a series of major earthquakes struck central Japan, claiming the lives of at least 30 people, damaging structures, and leaving thousands without electricity. Reports from the Jiji news agency indicated that the coast guard plane was poised to assist in rescue operations following the seismic event.
As per the media reports, eyewitnesses observed the Japan Airlines plane progressing along the runway when a sudden eruption of fiery orange flames emerged from beneath and behind it.
All 379 passengers, comprising eight minors and 12 crew members, were safely evacuated from the Airbus plane, NHK news reported citing JAL officials.
#WATCH | A Japan Airlines jet was engulfed in flames at Tokyo’s Haneda airport after a possible collision with a Coast Guard aircraft, with the airline saying that all 379 passengers and crew had been safely evacuated: Reuters
(Source: Reuters) pic.twitter.com/fohKUjk8U9
— ANI (@ANI) January 2, 2024
Japan Airlines plane, an Airbus A350, now completely engulfed in flames at Tokyo Airport. All nearly 400 passengers have been evacuated pic.twitter.com/Jlp8cSa5Fg
— BNO News (@BNONews) January 2, 2024
Live visuals broadcasted by Japan’s NHK television displayed flames emerging from the windows of the aircraft.
BREAKING: Japan Airlines plane with 367 people on board collides with Coast Guard plane at Tokyo Airport pic.twitter.com/ANheXFC2Ny
— BNO News (@BNONews) January 2, 2024
動画！羽田空港で日本航空の機体が炎上中！消火作業継続中！海上保安庁の飛行機が衝突！
VIDEO! Japan Airlines aircraft on fire at Haneda Airport! Firefighting operations are continuing! Japan Coast Guard plane collided with a plane!
视频！ 羽田机场日本航空公司飞机起火！ 灭火行动正在 pic.twitter.com/56bl93Yosd
— worldwalker (@worldwalker_now) January 2, 2024
A Japan Airlines jet is on fire at Tokyo Haneda Airport. 🇯🇵 🚨 ✈️ 🔥 pic.twitter.com/FaUAd7sERb
— Cole Cameron (@colecameron) January 2, 2024
A representative from Japan Airlines confirmed that the plane, which departed from Shin-Chitose Airport in Hokkaido, had over 400 passengers on board. NHK report stated that emergency protocols were swiftly executed, ensuring the safe evacuation of all passengers and crew members.
According to a Japan Airlines spokesperson, the plane took off from Hokkaido’s Shin-Chitose airport and was carrying more than 300 passengers.
According to reports, the runway was also set ablaze. The plane was said to be a Japan Airlines plane. According to a BBC report, the incident occurred as the plane was landing on the runway at Haneda Airport.
The plane, JAL 516, was also said to have taken off from Hokkaido. NHK also showed fire crews battling the blaze. It wasn’t immediately clear what had happened or if anyone had been injured.
It is to be noted that Haneda is considered one of the busiest airports in Japan.
Japan has largely remained free from significant commercial aviation mishaps for many years. The nation’s most devastating aviation tragedy dates back to 1985 when a JAL jumbo jet en route from Tokyo to Osaka crashed in the central Gunma region, claiming the lives of 520 passengers and crew members — marking one of history’s deadliest single-flight plane crashes.
