Japan Airlines plane catches fire on Haneda airport runway
In Tokyo, a Japan Airlines passenger plane collided with a smaller Coast Guard plane. The plane managed to land safely on the runway at Haneda Airport, but soon the plane burst into flames.
All 379 passengers and crew on board were successfully evacuated. However, according to Tokyo police, five of the six crew members of the Coast Guard plane were killed and the pilot was seriously injured. This was reported by the BBC.
The airline reported that Japan Airlines Flight 516 departed from New Chitose Airport in Sapporo at 16:00 local time (07:00 GMT) and was scheduled to land in Haneda at 17:40. However, after landing, the passenger plane collided with a coast guard plane. It is noted that it was 1 of 4 Coast Guard aircraft en route from Haneda Airport to Niigata Airport. It was supposed to provide assistance after the January 1 earthquake in Ishikawa.
It is not yet known what caused the collision. Instead, the Coast Guard has announced the launch of an investigation to determine the cause of the accident, and Japan Airlines is currently assessing the amount of damage.
