5 Dead on Coastguard Plane After Collision with Jet on Haneda Airport Runway Japan

Defense News ,Japan :- In a devastating incident at Tokyo Haneda Airport, a Coast Guard aircraft collided with a Japan Airlines plane on the runway, resulting in the loss of five lives, according to the country transport minister, Tetsuo Saito. The captain of the coast guard plane managed to escape, but the toll on board reached five fatalities, as reported by news agency AFP. Fortunately, all 379 passengers and crew on the Japan Airlines plane narrowly escaped the ensuing fire.

The collision led to a dramatic scene as the Japan Airlines plane erupted in flames, captured by public broadcaster NHK. Despite the intense efforts of rescue crews to control the blaze, the aircraft was engulfed in fire.

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has directed relevant agencies to swiftly assess the damage caused by the tragic incident. The Japan Coast Guard is currently investigating the possibility that one of its aircraft collided with the passenger jet. NHK, quoting Reuters, reported that five out of the six initially unaccounted-for crew members of the coast guard aircraft were later found. The pilot, however, was successfully evacuated.

Following the collision, Haneda Airport took precautionary measures by closing all runways, as confirmed by a spokesperson for the airport, according to news agency Reuters.

The ill-fated aircraft, identified as an Airbus A-350 JAL flight 516 departing from Shin Chitose airport, caught fire on the runway after landing. Reports suggest that it was hit by another aircraft, possibly a Japan Coast Guard plane.

Dramatic NHK footage displayed large eruptions of fire and smoke from the Japan Airlines plane as it taxied on the runway, eventually being entirely consumed by flames. Fortunately, all 367 passengers, eight toddlers, and 12 crew members on board the plane were safely evacuated, as stated by an airline spokesperson, as reported by Bloomberg.