Airbus Issues Statement After Japan Airlines Fire Accident, Shocking Visuals Go Viral
Airbus expressed regret over the incident and pledged technical assistance to investigation authorities.
European multinational aerospace corporation Airbus on Tuesday expressed regret over the collision of Japan Airlines aircraft and a Japan Coast Guard plane in a statement and has assured to provide technical assistance to the Bureau d'Enquetes et d'Analyses (BEA) of France and the Japan Transport Safety Board (JTSB).
The Airbus Statement
"Airbus regrets to confirm that an A350-900 operated by Japan Airlines was involved in an accident during flight JAL516 from Sapporo New Chitose Airport to Haneda International Airport shortly after 17:47 (local time) on 02 January 2024. All 367 passengers and 12 crew members on-board evacuated the aircraft.
The A350 collided with a DHC-8 aircraft at landing in Haneda. The Japanese authorities have since confirmed that sadly five of the six people on board the DHC-8 did not survive. The exact circumstances of the event are still unknown.
The aircraft involved in the accident, registered under the number JA13XJ, was MSN 538, delivered to Japan Airlines from the production line on 10 November 2021. It was powered by Rolls-Royce Trent XWB engines.
In line with International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) Annex 13 recommendations, Airbus will provide technical assistance to the Bureau d’Enquêtes et d’Analyses (BEA) of France and to the Japan Transport Safety Board (JTSB) in charge of the investigation. For this purpose, Airbus is presently dispatching a team of specialists to assist the Authorities.
Further updates will be provided as soon as consolidated information is available and Airbus is authorised to release them.
Our concerns and sympathy go to the families, friends and loved ones affected by the accident."
Watch: Japan's Airlines Fire Accident At Tokyo Haneda Airport
On January 2, Japan Airlines Co's flight Airbus SE A350-900 burst into flames following a collision with a smaller plane as it landed at Haneda Airport in Tokyo. Passengers and crew were safely evacuated from the Airbus SE A350-900. Five of the six crew members from the smaller plane which was bound for central Japan after Monday's huge earthquake have died.
A footage showed dramatic airport scene at night, featuring an Airbus jet colliding with another aircraft immediately after landing. The video shows the jet skidding along the runway, leaving behind a fiery trail.
In the background, a JAL aircraft is visibly damaged, with its front landing gear collapsed, flames emerging from its windows, and smoke enveloping its fuselage. Firefighting services were actively working to extinguish the fire. The setting is outside the Haneda airport building, with the airfield lit by emergency lights.
