Japan Airlines (JAL) has revealed details regarding the incident that took place on January 2, where flight JL516, from Sapporo/Chitose to Tokyo/Haneda on an Airbus A350-900 (registration number: JA13XJ), caught fire following a collision with an aircraft from the Japan Coast Guard after landing.
The flight, originally scheduled to depart from New Chitose Airport at 3:50 pm, took off 25 minutes late at 4:15 pm. After a smooth flight, it landed on Haneda Airport’s Runway C at 5:47 pm, and just after landing, it collided with the Coast Guard aircraft. The plane was carrying 3 flight crew, 9 cabin crew, and 367 passengers, including 8 infants, totaling 379 people on board.
The in-flight announcement system did not work during the evacuation, so the cabin crew used megaphones and their voices to guide passengers to safety. The cabin crew determined which exits were safe for evacuation, and all passengers and crew were able to leave the aircraft from three different exits. Passengers were checked for injuries and were supported until they returned home. There was one reported case of bruising and 13 individuals sought clinic consultations due to feeling unwell. The aircraft was declared a total loss.
JAL stated, “We are currently investigating the detailed situation and cause of the accident, and we will cooperate fully with the investigation.”
