TOKYO – All 379 people on board a Japan Airlines (JAL) plane escaped the burning jetliner after a collision with a coast guard plane at Tokyo’s Haneda Airport killed five of the six on Tuesday crew members of the smaller plane.
Live footage on public broadcaster NHK showed the JAL Airbus A350 jetliner catching fire as it skidded on the tarmac shortly before 6 p.m. (0900 GMT).
Videos and images shared on social media showed passengers screaming inside the plane’s smoke-filled cabin and running across the tarmac after escaping down an escape slide.
At one point, we hear the voice of a child shouting: “Let’s get out quickly!” Let’s get out quickly!
The 367 passengers and 12 crew members were evacuated from the flamboyant airliner, but the fire was not extinguished until shortly after midnight, after burning for more than six hours, TBS television channel reported, citing firefighters.
“I was wondering what happened, then I felt the plane tilt sideways at runway level and I felt a big bump,” said Satoshi Yamake, 59, an employee at the airport. a telecommunications company that was on board. “The flight attendants told us to stay calm and asked us to get off the plane.”
At least 17 people on the passenger plane have been hurt, according to the Japan Fire and Disaster Management Agency, four of whom were taken to hospital. None of the injuries appeared life-threatening.
Transport Minister Tetsuo Saito confirmed that five members of the coast guard plane’s crew had died, while the 39 years old captain of the plane escaped but was hurt.
A ministry official told a press briefing that the JAL plane was attempting to land normally when it collided on the runway with the Guard’s Bombardier-built Dash-8 maritime patrol aircraft. coastal.
No engine or other problems with the airliner were reported before landing, the official said.
The Coast Guard said its plane was heading to Niigata, on Japan’s west coast, to deliver aid to people caught in a disaster. powerful earthquake which struck on New Year’s Day, killing at least 55 people.
A JAL official told a news briefing that the airline’s understanding was that the flight had received clearance to land, but added that interactions with flight control were still subject to review. investigation.
‘IIT WAS A MIRACLE’
Passengers and aviation experts praised the speed of the evacuation.
“I heard an explosion about 10 minutes after everyone got off the plane,” said Tsubasa Sawada, a 28-year-old passenger. “I can only say it was a miracle, we could have died if we were late.”
Paul Hayes, director of aviation security at UK-based aviation consultancy Ascend by Cirium, noted that no one leaving the plane appeared to be carrying carry-on baggage – security agencies have been warning for years that stopping to collect carry-on baggage during an evacuation carries risks. lives.
“The cabin crew must have done an excellent job… It was a miracle that all the passengers got off,” he said.
Kaoru Ishii, who was waiting outside the arrival gate for her daughter and her 29-year-old boyfriend, said she initially thought the flight had been delayed until her daughter called to explain.
“She said the plane caught fire and she went out down a slide,” Ishii said. “I was really relieved that she was okay.”
A JAL spokesman said its plane took off from New Chitose Airport on the northern Japanese island of Hokkaido.
CAUSE UNDER INVESTIGATION
Haneda, one of two main airports serving the Japanese capital Tokyo, was closed for several hours after the accident, but the Transport Ministry official said three runways had since resumed operations.
JAL’s Japanese rival ANA earlier announced it had canceled 110 domestic flights departing from and landing in Haneda for the rest of Tuesday.
Transport Minister Saito said the cause of the accident was unclear and the Japan Transportation Safety Bureau, police and other departments would continue their investigation.
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said authorities were working to ensure the accident did not affect deliveries of earthquake relief supplies. and expressed sadness over the deaths of the Coast Guard crew.
“It is a great regret because the crew members carried out their duties with a strong sense of mission and responsibility towards the victims of the disaster area,” he said. – Reuters
