TOKYO — A passenger aircraft erupted in flames upon landing at a Tokyo airport on Tuesday, following a collision with a coast guard plane that resulted in the deaths of five individuals, according to officials.
All 379 passengers and crew members successfully evacuated the Japan Airlines aircraft, Transport Minister Tetsuo Saito stated during a news conference. The coast guard pilot managed to escape, but five crew members lost their lives, he noted.
The coast guard plane was en route to deliver earthquake relief supplies to Niigata prefecture on the western coast of the country after a series of powerful tremors claimed at least 55 lives and caused extensive damage, Saito reported. He added that there was no immediate information regarding the cause of the incident.
Dramatic footage aired by the Japanese public broadcaster NHK depicted clouds of orange flames and black smoke enveloping the passenger jet as it landed at Haneda Airport in the capital.
Video footage captured the aircraft’s side and areas around the wing ablaze as it taxied down the runway, before the fire spread to the cabin and rescue teams rushed to the scene. A local fire department dispatched at least 70 fire trucks and other vehicles to combat the blaze, NHK reported.
The passenger plane had entered the airport’s runway and subsequently collided with the coast guard aircraft on the runway, stated Shigenori Hiraoka, the director general of the ministry’s civil aviation bureau.
The Transport Safety Board will commence an investigation immediately, he announced at a joint news conference with coast guard officials. French accident investigators are also en route to the location, according to the Bureau of Enquiry and Analysis for Civil Aviation Safety.
A passenger aboard the Japan Airlines flight recounted how the cabin became filled with smoke within minutes.
Anton Deibe, 17, from Sweden, informed NBC News that the plane was preparing to land when he glanced to his left and observed “flames all over the windows.”
“The aircraft began to tremble, the lights went out, and a chorus of screams erupted in Japanese, which I could not comprehend,” recounted Deibe, who was accompanied by his parents and sister. “Initially, I thought perhaps we had collided with a bird; I was completely unaware. However, the shaking persisted, and eventually, we landed. It felt as though we were about to slide off the runway.
“Black smoke began to seep into the cabin… making it difficult to breathe. I grabbed my hoodie, the only item I had left — everything else had been consumed by flames — and used it to cover my face,” he continued. “After some time, they finally opened the doors, and everyone rushed out, necessitating a jump from the plane.”
