The debut of 2024 came with sad news from Japan. On January 1st, dozens of strong earthquakes hit Japan, the largest having 7.6 degrees. And on January 2, at one of the largest airports in the Land of the Rising Sun, a air accident resulting in the destruction of a Japan Airlines Airbus A350.
According to witnesses and authorities, the Airbus A350-900 model passenger aircraft collided with a Coast Guard Dash-8 model plane on landing.
Airbus A350-941, operating Japan Airlines flight JL516, collided with a Japan Coast Guard DHC-8-315Q MPA (JA722A). The accident happened on the runway of the Tokyo-Haneda airport.
Japan Airlines' Airbus A350-900 (JA13XJ) seen catching fire after landing at #Tokyo #Haneda airport inbound from #Sapporo as # JL516. #JAL #japanairlines all passengers are safe!!! pic.twitter.com/2kKZFwZqxV
— Pan (@antony67) January 2, 2024
JL516 was landing on runway 34R when the accident occurred. The DHC-8 was on its way to deliver supplies to Niigata Air Base in response to the Noto Peninsula earthquake.
A fire broke out on impact, with the commercial aircraft continuing to taxi on the runway. Immediately after the plane stopped, the fire spread rapidly as the A350 was evacuated onto the runway.
According to a Japan Airlines spokesman, there were 516 passengers and 367 crew members on board JL12. All appear to have survived the crash. The captain of the DHC-8 Japan Coast Guard aircraft also survived. Unfortunately five other occupants of the DHC-8 Japan Coast Guard aircraft died as a result of the plane crash.
An investigation has been opened to determine the causes that led to this accident. One of the planes was not supposed to be at the time and place of the accident.