On January 2, 2023, an incident unfolded at Haneda Airport (HND) in Japan involving a Japan Airlines (JAL) Airbus A350. The aircraft, after completing its journey from Sapporo New Chitose Airport (CTS), met with a catastrophic event as it collided with a Japanese Coast Guard de Havilland Canada DHC-8-315Q. The Coast Guard aircraft, engaged in delivering aid to an earthquake-stricken region in Japan, tragically lost five of its members, while the captain sustained serious injuries.
The Flames of Survival
The aftermath of the collision was a harrowing scene of flames engulfing the JAL jet. Passengers aboard the A350-900, captured in social media footage, were seen fleeing the aircraft in a desperate bid for safety. Thankfully, all 379 individuals on board, including 12 crew members, managed to escape via emergency slides after the aircraft halted on the runway.
Flight JL516, which had left Sapporo at approximately 4:30 pm local time, landed at Haneda Airport around 4:47 pm. The JAL Airbus A350 involved, registered as JA13XJ, was only 2 years old. Unfortunately, despite the prompt response from fire trucks, the aircraft was completely alight, leading to its classification as a total loss by Planespotters.net. This marked the first-ever hull loss of an Airbus A350 since its introduction in January 2015.
Emergency Response and Evacuation
The immediate closure of the airport followed the incident, as emergency teams swiftly attended the scene, providing essential medical support. The Prime Minister’s Office issued a statement emphasizing the commitment to “no effort would be spared to save lives and rescue victims,” promising timely public updates.
Airbus also released a statement, confirming their contact with Japan Airlines and their intention to share more details when available. Meanwhile, the Coast Guard initiated an investigation to ascertain the cause of the collision.
Remarkable Escape
In what can only be described as a miraculous escape, media reports confirmed that all 367 passengers and 12 crew members survived. According to the latest updates from the Tokyo Fire Department, at least 17 individuals sustained injuries. The extent of the fire, which ravaged the fuselage, highlighted the exceptional execution of evacuation procedures by the crew.
Footage from local television and inside the plane captured the intense moments as passengers evacuated across the runway, with smoke rapidly filling the cabin. The composure of those on board, amid such chaos, was notably remarkable.
First love never dies. I fell in love with airplanes and aviation when I was a kid. My dream was to become a pilot, but destiny led me to another path: to be an aviation digital media content creator and a small business owner. My passion for aviation inspires me to bring you quality content through my website and social accounts. Aviation is indeed in my blood and blog!
