A Japan Airlines Airbus collided with a coast guard plane and caught fire as it sped down the runway after arriving from Hokkaido in the north.
The smaller coast guard vessel was heading to deliver aid to earthquake-hit central Japan. Five of the six personnel died.
All 379 passengers and crew escaped the plane’s flames, causing panic among passengers due to smoke smell and unopened doors.
Eight children were on board the passenger plane, and a young voice shouted for them to be let off. The incident occurred at Tokyo’s Haneda Airport, where footage showed panic-stricken passengers begging for help.
Japan Airlines (JAL) reported that a plane landed at 5:46 pm and everyone was off just under 20 minutes later. Aviation experts believe that the evacuation was a carefully rehearsed and executed process that prevented the plane from turning into a death trap. Passengers followed instructions in a textbook manner, leaving their cabin bags behind.
David Kaminski-Morrow, air transport editor at FlightGlobal, said that an efficient evacuation showed what can be achieved by evacuating promptly and efficiently.
Passenger William Manzione described the quick evacuation as “very much” quick. He and other passengers felt like the plane was about to explode, and the crew shouted to run away from the plane.
Other emotional footage showed a mother waiting for her teenage son, rushing to hug him when he emerged, and a young boy expressing his relief and gratitude to the cameras. The successful evacuation of the JAL flight demonstrates the importance of prompt and efficient evacuation in preventing disasters.
