Japan Airlines accident: all 379 aboard rescued safely

A Japan Airlines passenger jet caught fire today after crashing into a Coast Guard aircraft at the Haneda Airport in Tokyo. JAL flight 516 Airbus A-350 flew in from Shin Chitose Airport and was landing at the Haneda airport when the accident occurred.

According to a spokesperson for Japan Airlines, there were 367 passengers and 12 crew members aboard the flight at the time of the accident. The spokesperson told Japanese broadcaster NHK that all were successfully evacuated from the damaged aircraft.

NHK reported also that the Coast Guard aircraft that was involved in the accident was about to leave to support rescue operations in central Japan where an earthquake occurred on New Year’s Day. One member of the crew has escaped but four members are unaccounted for.

Meanwhile, experts have praised the efforts of Japan Airlines in quickly evacuating all 379 persons aboard the plane at the time of the disaster. Prof Graham Braithwaite, Director of Transport Systems at Cranfield University in the UK told the BBC that JAL is a “world leader” and prioritizes safety.

“The evacuation has been successful and it is a reminder [of] how much has gone into training cabin crew. Their focus is on safety. They are the last people to evacuate the airplane and on face value, it looks like they have done an incredible job.”