A Japan Airlines (JAL) Airbus A350 has been destroyed after the aircraft burst into flames after landing at Haneda Airport (HND) in Japan.
It is believed that the Airbus A350 collided with a Japanese Coast Guard de Havilland Canada DHC-8-315Q which was being used to deliver aid to a region of Japan hit by an earthquake on January 1, 2023.
Video and photos shared on social media showed the Japan Airlines jet engulfed in flames as passengers on board fled from the aircraft.
According to the JAL, all 379 people (including 12 crew members) on the passenger plane managed to escape using emergency slides that were deployed after the A350 came to a halt.
Meanwhile, five people on board the Coast Guard’s DHC-8-315Q have sadly been confirmed as dead, while the captain of the aircraft escaped with serious injuries.
Tragic incident at Haneda airport as Japan Airlines Airbus A-350, collided a Coast Guard plane. The commercial airplane, engulfed in flames but all passengers were safely evacuated pic.twitter.com/veDMFx5FWt
— Science girl (@gunsnrosesgirl3) January 2, 2024
Flight 516 left Sapporo New Chitose Airport (CTS) on January 2, 2023, shortly before 4.30 pm local time, and landed at Haneda Airport 4.47 pm.
Following the incident, the airport was immediately closed, and emergency teams attended the scene offering medical support.
In a statement by the Prime Minister’s Office, it said “no effort would be spared to save lives and rescue victims” and that information will be provided to the public as “timely” as possible.
In a statement by Airbus, the planemaker said it was in contact with Japan Airlines and will “communicate further details when available”.
JAL516便(推定) 新千歳→東京/羽田
— 田中 (@tshinfuku1115) January 2, 2024
羽田空港C滑走路で
着陸時に海上保安庁機と衝突
乗客はスロープを使って避難
けが人などの情報は確認中
(JNN) pic.twitter.com/MrpXH0g6fh
The Coast Guard has launched an investigation to try to determine what caused the collision.
AeroTime will update this article with new information as we get it.
