Passengers’ Hand Luggage Is Left Behind: The Tokyo Rescue of 379 Flyers

Cabin crew members encountered a terrifying situation on Jan. 2, when Japan Airlines Flight JL516 slid to a blazing stop after colliding with another aircraft on the runway at Tokyo Haneda airport.
Flames raced up the fuselage coated in kerosene, one of the massive engines was still churning and could not be stopped, and only three of the eight escape hatches were accessible to exit the downed aircraft. The communication system connecting the flight deck and cabin had malfunctioned.

Ultimately, the Airbus A350’s 367 passengers and 12 crew members were able to exit safely. Their escape, made possible by a sophisticated aircraft design, a trained crew, and, most importantly, passengers who maintained composure and followed the regulations, is even more amazing in light of the chances.

In as little as ninety seconds, modern aircraft must be able to completely evacuate while using just half of all of their accessible exits. The passengers on Japan Airlines made do with considerably less. At a news conference held the day after the tragedy, government authorities said that one flight attendant had swiftly opted to open an emergency door near the rear of the plane in order to assist more passengers in escaping using the emergency slides.

Since authorities concluded that contemporary aircraft can physically sustain a bomb for at least that long, the 90-second rule has been in place. Aircraft makers must practice quick evacuations in order to get certification. Even the enormous Airbus A380 has emptied out with a few seconds to spare, despite the added complexity of having two full-length flight decks.

Video taken onboard the Japan Airlines aircraft revealed that smoke had entered the cabin and that some of the passengers were grabbing face masks to breathe easier. Even still, there was a relaxed atmosphere as individuals moved through the dimly illuminated chamber towards the exits. The Japan Airlines Airbus in question can accommodate 369 people, but the domestic trip from northern Japan was packed to within two seats of that maximum, meaning that the aircraft was almost full.

The inquiry will look into why not every door was utilized for evacuation; some may have been damaged in the collision with the other aircraft, or flight attendants and crew may have concluded that passengers would be in danger due to the burning engines. In the event of an emergency evacuation, cabin staff are required by standard operating procedure to inspect each door for fire or exterior hazards.

Importantly, travelers abandoned their carry-on bags on board. Although it’s an often stated safety precaution in the event of an evacuation, historical catastrophes have shown that some fleeing individuals have a tendency to rush for their personal items. As flight attendants assist customers in appropriately jumping into the emergency slides—ideally without a bulky purse or laptop case slung around their neck—this leads to potentially hazardous bottlenecks.

People weren’t completely out of the danger zone until they got outdoors. After smashing into the Japanese Coast Guard’s fueled-up De Havilland Canada Dash 8, the aircraft was covered in kerosene, and the massive Rolls-Royce engine on its right wing was still churning. The pilot of the smaller aircraft survived the collision, but five of the six passengers perished.

The first firetrucks came and started spraying foam within minutes. However, the confusion caused by oncoming rescue teams and people running away might also be dangerous. At least one firetruck sent to rescue survivors drove over a juvenile passenger who was ejected from the downed Asiana Airlines Flight 214 in San Francisco in 2013.

According to an Airbus representative, all of the company’s aircraft are fire resistant to some extent and maintain their structural integrity in the case of an outside fire. Large portions of the Airbus A350 are composed of carbon composite materials, which the company claims to have fire resistance comparable to that of metal.

When there was no longer a danger to life, the fire services finally allowed the aircraft to burn out—a process known as “defensive mode” to protect the firemen. The Airbus A350 was reduced to a blackened shell by Wednesday morning, while both wings were still mostly in place. The second jet lay utterly wrecked a few hundred feet down the runway.