Flight JL516 from Chitose, Hokkaido may have collided with a Japan coast guard plane during landing. All 379 passengers and crew members safely left the plane after landing.
Tragically, there were five fatalities reported on board the coast guard aircraft, as confirmed by officials. In response to this devastating incident, Japan Airlines Managing Executive Officer Noriyuki Aoki has stated that they are actively investigating the communication exchange between the aircraft and the airport control center.
This investigation includes a thorough examination of whether proper landing permissions were granted by the airport control center. Such investigations are essential to understanding the sequence of events and identifying any potential factors that may have contributed to this unfortunate incident.
According to officials who spoke to NHK, there were six people on board the Coast Guard aircraft, which was scheduled to fly to Niigata, Japan for earthquake relief. The Prime Minister’s office, through social media, identified the aircraft as JA722A and sadly announced that five out of the six individuals on board had been killed.
In response to the escalating fire, an impressive fleet of over 70 firefighting vehicles swiftly rushed to the scene, demonstrating the immense scale of the emergency. Despite their valiant efforts, it took approximately two hours for the roaring flames to be fully subdued.
The aircraft involved in this incident was identified as an Airbus A350, as confirmed by reliable flight tracker FlightAware.
George Eliason
