--- title: "Plane Crash at Tokyo Airport Kills 5, Japan Airlines’ Evacuation Saves All Civilian Passengers" description: "JAL 516, an Airbus A350, struck an earthquake relief aircraft operated by Japan Coast Guard members while landing early Tuesday." date: "2024-01-02" modified: "2024-01-02" authors: - name: "Nico DeMattia" job_title: "Contributing Writer" link: "https://www.thedrive.com/authors/nico-demattia" url: "https://www.thedrive.com/news/plane-crash-at-tokyo-airport-kills-5-japan-airlines-evacuation-saves-all-civilian-passengers" categories: - "News" --- # Plane Crash at Tokyo Airport Kills 5, Japan Airlines’ Evacuation Saves All Civilian Passengers ![]() *NBC News* Following a devastating 7.5-magnitude earthquake that hit [Japan]() yesterday, killing dozens and leaving countless more missing, an earthquake relief plane was struck by a landing Japan Airlines (JAL) plane at Tokyo's Haneda airport. JAL flight 516, an Airbus A350-900, burst into flames following the collision today, at 3:47 AM EST (5:47 PM local time). Thankfully, all passengers and crew members aboard JAL 516 made it out alive. Sadly, however, five of the six Japan Coast Guard members aboard the earthquake relief plane were killed. Images and videos have been flooding social media and, while it's unclear exactly how the two planes collided on the runway, it seems miraculous that every JAL 516 passenger—which included eight infants—survived. According to *[Reuters]()*, JAL 516 was landing when it crashed into the coast guard plane and skidded down the runway on fire. The plane then erupted into a massive fireball. In some of the social media video, you can watch the plane continue down the runway on fire, as well as the cabin fill with smoke. While all 379 passengers survived, at least 17 were injured and taken to a nearby hospital. https://twitter.com/aviationbrk/status/1742115021595836808 Tragically, Japan's transport minister Tetsuo Saito confirmed that five of the coast guard members aboard the relief plane died, while the captain remains in critical condition. The coast guard plane had been getting ready to leave for an airbase in Niigata, to help deliver aid to earthquake victims. "I felt a boom like we had hit something and jerked upward the moment we landed," a JAL 516 passenger told *Kyodo News*, according to *Reuters*. "I saw sparks outside the window and the cabin filled with gas and smoke." https://twitter.com/alto_maple/status/1742115893285412984 Naturally, all departures out of Haneda airport are cancelled and there's no word when they will resume. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OuN5jx7oc_o *Got tips? Send 'em to tips@thedrive.com* ## Author Nico is a writer and reviewer from New Jersey who probably thinks he’s a lot funnier than he actually is. His love of cars began when he was just a kid playing Gran Turismo 3, grinding out enough race wins with a Mazda Miata to save up for an in-game RUF 911. That passion for small, lightweight sports cars drove his desire to learn more about the industry, get his hands on as many cars as he could, and bring those experiences to life on the page. He cut his teeth writing about BMWs, Volkswagens, and Audis, mostly, and has owned far too many of each. He’s on his fourth 3 Series sedan, but all of his old, cheap German cars have forced him to learn more about car maintenance than his mechanical capability can handle. Too many late nights have been spent scrambling to get a car running by morning so he could get to work. For some reason, he never seems to learn that old Bimmers probably aren’t the best daily drivers. But he loves more than just old German cars. He’ll gladly drive and discuss anything with four (or even three) wheels. Cars aren’t his only passions, though. Nico is also a big nerd and loves movies, video games, comic books, and cares far too much about the New York Giants. So don’t be surprised if you see football references or dumb, obscure movie quotes in any of his car reviews. ### Author social links [Instagram]() [LinkedIn]()