Five Dead At Japanese Coastguard Plane In Collision With Passenger Aircraft

By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News

TOKYO (Worthy News) – Five people aboard a Japanese coastguard plane have died after their aircraft collided with a massive Japan Airlines passenger plane at Tokyo’s Haneda Airport, authorities said.

However, all 379 people on board the burning Airbus A350 survived and were evacuated, the airline confirmed. Among the survivors were 367 passengers and 12 crew members, according to released data.

The coastguard plane was due to deliver aid to areas hit by Monday’s deadly earthquake that prompted tsunami warnings. Only the captain managed to escape following the collision, but that person suffered severe injuries, officials said.

Fire ripped through the Japan Airlines flight 516, which had taken off from New Chitose Airport in Hokkaido in northern Japan nearly two hours earlier, footage showed.

The plane turned into a fireball after touching the coastguard plane while landing at the airport in Tokyo, Worthy News observed based on eyewitness accounts and pictures.

It seemed a miracle that everyone on board the passenger plane survived the accident, which happened shortly before 6 pm local time.

However, at least 17 of the passengers and crew were taken off the Japan Airlines flight with minor injuries, fire officials said.

SENDING TEAM

Airbus said it would send a team of experts to assist French and Japanese authorities as they investigate the deadly accident involving one of its A350 planes at Tokyo’s Haneda airport.

The aircraft involved was MSN 538, delivered to Japan Airlines after production in November 2021 and was powered by Rolls-Royce Trent XWB engines, Airbus added.

It was the first recorded major accident involving an Airbus A350 – one of a new breed of aircraft built primarily of advanced materials such as carbon fiber-reinforced plastic.

Despite the blaze, aviation experts said the aircraft appears to have stood up well, allowing time for those aboard to escape. Passengers were seen clambering down emergency slides.

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida expressed his sadness that five of the six crew on the coastguard plane died while trying to get help to people affected by Monday’s earthquake. He extended his condolences to those who died while trying to serve people in need in the Noto area of Ishikawa prefecture.

Eyewitness Josh Coultas at Tokyo Haneda Airport recalled it was scary “watching the airport freeze.” He said he was at the airport waiting for a friend coming in on a different flight. “It was shocking because my friend could have been on that plane – but they weren’t.”

He confirmed that “All flights are canceled” and said he did not expect flights to resume the same day. “With the earthquake and tsunami [warnings] and now this, it has been quite a scary start to 2024 in Japan.”

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