Japan Airlines plane-Coast Guard aircraft collision: What we know so far

A passenger plane collided with a Japanese coast guard aircraft and burst into flames on the runway of Tokyo’s Haneda Airport on Tuesday. All 379 passengers and crew of the Japan Airlines plane miraculously escaped the blaze, while casualties were reported in the coast guard aircraft.

What happened to the passenger plane?

Live footage on public broadcaster NHK showed the Japan Airlines (JAL) Airbus A350 aircraft (JAL-516) bursting into flames as it skidded down the tarmac at around 6 p.m. (0900 GMT). It had flown out of Shin Chitose airport in Japan to Haneda when the incident happened.

As it taxied on a runway, videos showed a large eruption of fire and smoke from the side of the plane. Shortly the area around the wing caught fire, and then the plane entirely was engulfed in fire.

Video: passengers escape from a burning JAL flight at Tokyo’s Haneda airport today, after it collided with a Japan Coast Guard plane. All the passengers and crew from the JAL flight survived, but several of the coast guard crew are missing. pic.twitter.com/cfdBrB0qVG https://t.co/W9FYWBDFgn

— Jeffrey J. Hall 🇯🇵🇺🇸 (@mrjeffu) January 2, 2024

What is the status of the coast guard aircraft and its crew?

Japan’s coast guard has confirmed the collision of its aircraft MA722 and the Japan Airlines plane.

The Coast Guard said the pilot of its plane had escaped, while NHK TV reported that the five other crew members had been found dead.

Where was the coast guard plane headed to?

The coast guard aircraft had been due to head to Niigata to deliver relief goods to residents affected by a deadly earthquake in the region on Monday that killed at least 48 people.

What was the government’s response?

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida instructed relevant agencies to coordinate to assess the damage swiftly and provide information to the public, according to his office.

Transport minister Saito said the cause of the accident was unclear and the Japan Transport Safety Board (JTSB), police and other departments would continue to investigate. He added that the transport ministry will attempt to resume the operations of Haneda airport as soon as possible.

Haneda, one of Tokyo’s two main airports, had closed all runways following the incident.

– With agency inputs

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