Japan Airlines Plane Catches Fire During Emergency Landing in Tokyo, All Passengers and Crew Evacuated Safely
A Japan Airlines plane caught fire on a runway in Tokyo on Tuesday, leading the flight crew to direct hundreds of passengers off the aircraft using megaphones and “their own voices,” the airline said on Wednesday.
According to the airline, the aircraft’s announcement system malfunctioned during the evacuation. All 367 passengers and 12 crew members were successfully evacuated after the plane struck a Japan Coast Guard aircraft upon landing at Haneda Airport in Tokyo.
In a statement released by Japan Airlines on Wednesday, the airline detailed the moments before and during the landing, stating that the three crew members in the cockpit had been given permission to land. The statement also mentioned that eight infants were on board the Airbus A350 at the time of the incident.
The airline further reported that all passengers left the plane through three emergency exits, successfully performing an emergency evacuation as the aircraft began to be consumed by flames. At least 14 passengers requested medical consultations, with one person experiencing bruising and 13 others requesting consultations “due to physical discomfort,” the airline said.
The flight, JAL516, had left New Chitose Airport in Sapporo, Japan, on time at about 3:50 p.m. on Tuesday and did not experience any issues or irregularities during its departure or the flight, according to Japan Airlines. However, it landed late at 5:47 p.m.
Videos from the scene showed the larger plane erupting in flames as it moved down the runway. The Airbus A350 involved in the incident was a total loss after being engulfed in flames.
The French plane manufacturer, Airbus, has stated that it will be sending a team of specialists to Japan to assist French and Japanese investigators studying the crash.
Five out of the six crew members on board the Japan Coast Guard aircraft involved in the collision were killed. The cause of the collision and subsequent fire is under investigation.
ABC News’ Will Gretsky and Clara McMichael contributed to this story.