A Japan Airlines Airbus A350-900 caught fire on landing at Tokyo’s Haneda Airport after it collided with a Coast Guard plane.
The Japan Airlines flight was JL516, an Airbus A350-941, on a domestic flight from Sapparo.
“We are currently assessing the extent of the damage,” the airline said, according to an NHK report.
All 379 passengers and crew on board were evacuated.
Tragically, five crew members have died on the second aircraft, a De Havilland Canada DHC-8 (below), operated by the Japan Coast Guard (JCG), according to Japan public broadcaster NHK. It said the plane’s captain was in a critical condition.
Below is a video about the evacuation of the Japan Airlines A350.
Haneda Airport is Japan’s busiest with over 490 flights per day. The airport was closed immediately after the incident causing disruption globally. Information from FlightRadar24 shows the extent of the cancellations and diversions.
In a statement Airbus said:
“Airbus regrets to confirm that an A350-900 operated by Japan Airlines was involved in an accident during flight JAL516 from Sapporo New Chitose Airport to Haneda International Airport shortly after 17:47 (local time) on 02 January 2024. All 367 passengers and 12 crew members on-board evacuated the aircraft.
“The A350 collided with a DHC-8 aircraft at landing in Haneda. The Japanese authorities have since confirmed that sadly five of the six people on board the DHC-8 did not survive. The exact circumstances of the event are still unknown.
“The aircraft involved in the accident, registered under the number JA13XJ, was MSN 538, delivered to Japan Airlines from the production line on 10 November 2021. It was powered by Rolls-Royce Trent XWB engines.
“In line with International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Annex 13 recommendations, Airbus will provide technical assistance to the Bureau d’Enquêtes et d’Analyses (BEA) of France and to the Japan Transport Safety Board (JTSB) in charge of the investigation. For this purpose, Airbus is presently dispatching a team of specialists to assist the Authorities.
“Further updates will be provided as soon as consolidated information is available and Airbus is authorised to release them.
“Our concerns and sympathy go to the families, friends and loved ones affected by the accident.”
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