Japan Airlines plane catches fire after collision at Haneda airport
A Japan Airlines plane carrying hundreds of passengers caught fire after colliding with an aircraft involved in earthquake relief efforts at Tokyo's Haneda airport. All passengers and crew on board JAL flight 516 were safely evacuated, but five of six people on the other plane were reported killed. The cause of the plane fire is under investigation.
Collision at Haneda airport
A Japan Airlines plane burst into flames on landing at Tokyo’s Haneda airport after colliding with an aircraft involved in earthquake relief efforts.
All passengers and crew on board JAL flight 516 were safely evacuated, according to the airline.
The other plane, operated by the Japan Coast Guard, reported five deaths among the six people on board.
Details and cause under investigation
The Airbus A350-900 aircraft caught fire after arriving from Sapporo. Japan Airlines is currently investigating the cause of the fire.
The Japan Coast Guard aircraft involved in the collision was a De Havilland Canada DHC-8. The captain of the aircraft is in critical condition.
Local fire services confirmed that 17 people on the Japan Airlines plane were injured, but further details about the injuries are not available.
Response and aftermath
More than 100 fire trucks were dispatched to the scene to battle the flames.
Video footage showed the passenger jet engulfed in a massive fireball before coming to a stop on the runway. Passengers used emergency slides to escape.
The majority of departures from Haneda Airport are currently canceled, and it is uncertain when flight services will resume.
