Miracle at Haneda: Survivors recount harrowing moments following Japan Airlines collision
All 379 passengers of Japanese Airlines flight 516 miraculously emerged unharmed after a fiery collision at Tokyo's Haneda airport, leaving them in awe of the incredible escape from potential disaster
Upon arrival at Tokyo's Haneda airport, Japanese Airlines flight 516 burst into flames after colliding with an earthquake relief aircraft on the runway. Tragically, five people lost their lives in the incident, leaving the crew with only minutes to evacuate all passengers before the entire plane was engulfed in flames.
The cabin quickly filled with smoke, prompting flight attendants to use megaphones to reassure and guide nervous passengers to safety through three emergency exits using slides. Despite the challenging circumstances, all 379 individuals on JAL flight 516, including eight infants, were successfully evacuated. This impressive achievement has left aviation experts surprised and some passengers describing it as a miraculous escape.
28-year-old passenger Tsubasa Sawada informed Reuters that he heard an explosion approximately 10 minutes after disembarking from the plane. He stated, "It was truly a miracle. If we had been any later, we could have lost our lives."
Japan Airlines confirmed that four passengers were hospitalized, with the most severe injury being "bruising" sustained by one individual.
Five out of the six crew members perished in the crash of the second aircraft, a De Havilland Canada DHC-8, as confirmed by Japan's transport minister, Tetsuo Saito. The plane's captain was reported to be in critical condition by public broadcaster NHK.
Japan Airlines is cooperating with the investigation to establish accountability for the tragic accident, stated senior vice president of corporate safety and security Tadayuki Tsutsumi during a press briefing.
The Japan Airlines plane is gutted by fire on a runway of Tokyo's Haneda Airport on January 2, 2024.
The airline confirmed that its crew had obtained clearance from air traffic control to land before the collision. Audio from LiveATC.net seems to show the crew acknowledging a clearance to land on runway 34, stating "cleared to land 34 right."
Passengers and eyewitnesses of the collision on the Airbus A350 expressed their initial terror turning into relief when it became evident that everyone onboard had survived. "I genuinely believed my life was in danger," Sawada told Reuters.
Runway incursions, classified as rare but potentially catastrophic, were described by Graham Braithwaite, a safety and accident investigation professor at Cranfield University in the UK.
Guy Maestre, a native of France, was aboard a nearby plane during the incident and recalled hearing a loud "big bang."
Sitting in the window seat of another plane, we were preparing for takeoff when a loud bang jolted us. Looking out the windows, we witnessed a massive trail of flames engulfing the runway," said Maestre, who had been visiting Japan from Philadelphia, in an interview with CNN. "The flames continued to rise until we noticed fire trucks racing down the runway."
He expressed his hope for everyone's safety and described it as "shocking" to witness. Despite the distressing images of the fiery crash, passenger Satoshi Yamake told CNN that the people on board remained calm and not in a state of panic.
Upon landing, Yamake reported that he did not initially perceive anything unusual. "The landing was normal, I didn't feel any jolt or anything," Yamake stated at Haneda airport after being evacuated from the crash.
He added that he saw a fire shortly before an announcement was made to evacuate the plane.
This aerial photo show the burn-out Japan Airlines plane at Haneda airport on January 3, 2024, in Tokyo, Japan.
Kyodo News/AP
The burn-out Japanese coast guard aircraft is seen at Haneda airport on January 3, 2024, in Tokyo, Japan.
The fire erupting from the engines caught our attention, and I couldn't help but wonder why it was burning for so long. Then, an announcement informed us that we may have hit something on the runway, and that we needed to evacuate the plane. Despite the smell of smoke, the passengers remained relatively calm." explained Yamake.
"I wasn't really scared," he said. "I figured since we've already landed, the plane probably won't explode at this point. As long as everyone gets off the plane in an orderly manner, we should be fine."
The crew of Flight 516 has been commended for their swift and calm responses that rescued hundreds of lives. Japan Airlines reported that the cabin crew utilized megaphones to guide passengers to safety when the plane's inflight announcement system failed.
Passengers inside the plane reported that flight attendants advised them to stay calm, and were able to quickly deploy the escape chutes and lead passengers to safety once the plane came to a stop. "It's too early to discuss the details of the incident, but it's evident that the crew acted exceptionally," stated Steven Erhlich, chair of PilotsTogether, a charity established during the pandemic to assist crew members.
Video Ad Feedback
Video captures chaos on board after plane catches fire
00:45
- Source:
CNN
He pointed out that the passengers on the flight were able to evacuate without bringing their carry-on bags with them, ultimately saving lives.
"If the passengers had hesitated to evacuate, it could have been disastrous, all for the sake of a laptop or carry-on bag. Thankfully, the situation could have been much worse if the passengers hadn't listened to the warnings to leave their belongings behind," he remarked.
Yamake's wife, Mika, informed CNN that her husband emerged with his cellphone, leaving everything else behind. "He called me from inside and said he saw smoke coming out. I felt relieved knowing he was safe," she stated.
CNNs Sophie Jeong, Teele Rebane, Mayumi Maruyama and Eric Cheung contributed reporting.
