Plane Collision in Japan

       Jet Erupts in Flames Video Order Prevailed in Evacuation A Passenger’s Account

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       As Flames Surged, Order Prevailed Inside a Japan Airlines Jet

       In addition to a well-trained crew and an advanced plane, the safe evacuation of 367 passengers came down to a relative absence of panic.

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       Investigators inspected the wreckage of a Japan Airlines passenger jet and a Japan Coast Guard plane that collided at Haneda Airport in Tokyo. CreditCredit...Kyodo, via Reuters

       By Motoko Rich and Hisako Ueno

       Reporting from Tokyo

       Jan. 3, 2024

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       As smoke filled the cabin of Japan Airlines Flight 516 after its fiery landing in Tokyo on Tuesday, the sound of a child’s voice rose above the din of confusion onboard. “Please, let us off quickly!” the child pleaded, using a polite form of Japanese despite the fear washing over the passengers as flight attendants began shouting instructions.

       In the minutes that followed, even as the flames that would eventually engulf the JAL plane flickered outside the windows, order held. The attendants evacuated all 367 passengers through the three exit doors deemed safest, sending them down the emergency slides one by one, with no major injuries. Most left behind everything but the phones that would capture the harrowing scenes for the world.

       While a number of factors aided what many have called a miracle at Haneda Airport — a well-trained crew of 12; a veteran pilot with 12,000 hours of flight experience; advanced aircraft design and materials — the relative absence of panic onboard during the emergency procedure perhaps helped the most.

       Kawasaki

       Terminal 3

       Terminal 1

       Tama

       River

       Haneda

       Airport

       Terminal 2

       A Coast Guard

       plane taxied onto

       the same runway.

       … and the Japan Airlines

       plane continued down

       the runway ablaze.

       Japan

       The two planes collided …

       Japan Airlines

       Flight 516 landed

       at 5:47 p.m. Tuesday.

       Haneda

       Airport

       Tokyo Bay

       Japan

       Kawasaki

       Haneda

       Airport

       Terminal 3

       Tama

       River

       Terminal 1

       Haneda

       Airport

       Terminal 2

       A Coast Guard

       plane taxied onto

       the same runway.

       … and the Japan

       Airlines plane

       continued down

       the runway ablaze.

       The two planes

       collided …

       Japan Airlines

       Flight 516 landed

       at 5:47 p.m. Tuesday.

       Tokyo Bay

       Source: Flightradar24

       By: Leanne Abraham; aerial view by Google Earth

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       Motoko Rich is a reporter in Tokyo, leading coverage of Japan for The Times. More about Motoko Rich

       Hisako Ueno has been reporting on Japanese politics, business, gender, labor and culture for The Times since 2012. She previously worked for the Tokyo bureau of The Los Angeles Times from 1999 to 2009. More about Hisako Ueno

       A version of this article appears in print on Jan. 4, 2024, Section A , Page 1 of the New York edition with the headline: Order Prevailed Aboard Jetliner Bathed in Fire . Order Reprints | Today’s Paper | Subscribe

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