A collision, a jet on fire and a ‘miracle’ evacuation in Tokyo

As a Japan Airlines jet landed in Tokyo on Tuesday, what seemed like a routine touchdown quickly turned into a harrowing situation for the nearly 400 people on board as the plane burst into flames. But all managed to escape, with passengers and aviation experts crediting the disciplined response of both staff and travelers for what’s being called a miracle evacuation.

During its landing at Haneda Airport, the Airbus A350, which was arriving from New Chitose Airport in Hokkaido, collided with a Japan Coast Guard plane that had been moving on the ground — with the JAL jet seen in video footage speeding down the runway in flames.

All of those aboard the JAL jet — 367 passengers and 12 crew members — escaped, though 15 suffered injuries. Five of the six personnel aboard the coast guard plane died, with its captain escaping with serious injuries.