Following a collision with a coast guard plane, a passenger-carrying Japan Airlines aircraft caught fire on the runway at Tokyo’s Haneda airport. After landing, the Airbus A-350 skidded down the tarmac, and flames could be seen shooting out of the windows. Firefighters worked feverishly to contain the fire, but it spread swiftly and erupted into an inferno when the hull cracked in two. Flight 516, which has been called a “miracle” by a veteran pilot, carried 379 passengers and crew members when it was evacuated, the airline reported. Out of the six individuals on board the Coast Guard aircraft, the pilot has been verified to have escaped, and the other five have been located, however their health is unknown.
A passenger captured dramatic footage of the plane going down the runway, emitting an orange light, and leaving a trail of smoke through the glass of the aircraft. As the aircraft accelerates along the tarmac, loud rumbling sounds from the engines can be heard, and a warning keeps sounding within the aircraft. The unidentified traveler posted a video of what appears to be smoke inside the cabin along with the statement, “I thought I was going to die,” on X, the previous Twitter platform. The busiest airport in Japan, Haneda, has closed all of its runways while at least 70 fire trucks and other vehicles are battling the fire.Japan Airlines reports that the aircraft landed at Haneda and struck a coast guard aircraft there. The aircraft was seen flying along the runway before catching fire and coming to a stop. Rodger Whitfield, a former commercial pilot, told Sky News: “It’s vital to recognize that we’ve just witnessed a miracle. “The way they got everyone off that plane is nearly unbelievable… It’s astounding that the crew was able to release every passenger. That cannot be disputed.” Another former pilot, Alastair Rosenschein, said that it might have been “so much worse”. Airbus A-350 flight 516 had taken off from Shin-Chitose airport in Hokkaido.
