Tokyo’s Haneda Airport Temporarily Closed Following Japan Airlines Flight Fire

Japan Airlines stated in a memo that on the evening of January 2, JL516 collided with a Japan Coast Guard aircraft while landing at Haneda Airport, causing a fire on the runway. They expressed their condolences for the Coast Guard members who lost their lives.

All 379 individuals aboard the Japan Airlines flight successfully evacuated before the aircraft was fully engulfed in flames. Tragically, the collision claimed the lives of five crew members from the Coast Guard's Bombardier Dash-8, which was en route to deliver aid to Japan’s west coast after a major earthquake struck on Monday, as reported by the Associated Press. The pilot of the Coast Guard plane is reported to have survived.

The survival of all passengers and crew on the Japan Airlines flight, including 367 passengers and 12 crew members, is described as a “miracle” by aviation safety expert and journalist Christine Negroni, author of Deadly Departure (William Morrow, 2000) and The Crash Detectives (Penguin, 2016).

Negroni remarked to Dinogo, “It’s astonishing that an accident like this, where the plane is practically engulfed in flames, can result in everyone escaping. It highlights how far we’ve come in aviation safety.”

The runway incident took place just before 6 p.m. local time; video footage captures the JAL Airbus A350 igniting as it skids along the tarmac at Tokyo Haneda Airport, where it had just landed after departing from New Chitose Airport near Sapporo. According to a report by Reuters, the fire raged for over six hours, resulting in 14 passenger injuries. Haneda Airport temporarily closed following the incident but reopened several hours later.

An investigation is underway to uncover the precise cause of the collision. Negroni stated, “The primary question is: Why were two planes in the same location at the same time? That should never happen.”

Negroni highlights several factors that likely aided the survival of the Japan Airlines flight passengers. For starters, they benefited from a century of advancements in aviation safety, including the late 20th-century implementation of 16G seats in all aircraft, which can endure forces up to 16 times that of gravity, compared to the former 9G standard. Additionally, fuel tank inerting technology prevents explosions, and improvements in materials mean that “the plane’s fabric, walls, and ceilings are less flammable and the fabrics are less likely to emit toxic fumes,” she explains.

“In the event of an accident involving impact or fire, it’s crucial for people to remain conscious and unhindered to escape,” she advises. Negroni always tells travelers to keep their shoes on during takeoff and landing: “Why? Because you may need to exit the aircraft quickly. If you're in your socks, how will you escape a burning plane without shoes?”

Reuters reported that the airline stated there were no problems with the aircraft upon departure from New Chitose Airport or during the flight, and that it had received clearance to land from air traffic control.

Airbus released a statement confirming that the A350 involved in the incident was delivered to Japan Airlines in November 2021 and was equipped with Rolls-Royce Trent XWB engines. The company also stated it would support the investigation and had dispatched a team of experts to the scene.