Pilot survives as 18 people perish in Kathmandu plane crash

The pilot is the only survivor of a plane crash at Nepal's capital, Kathmandu's Tribhuvan International Airport. It is understood that eighteen other people perished in the plane crash that appears to have caught fire just after its take-off from the airport on Wednesday.

 

The aircraft, belonging to Saurya Airlines is said to have been carrying out a test flight with 17 company employees and two crew at the time of the crash. The flight was scheduled to go to Pokhara in the country's west, a key tourist hub. 

The flight was part of a routine maintenance check and crashed at around 05:30GMT,  that's about 11:15 local time, just moments after take off.  An eyewitness told the AFP news agency "There was a very loud noise, it sounded like maybe a truck had overturned on the road.  We ran after we saw [the crash]. The plane then hit the ground and caught fire. We were about to run to the site but then there was an explosion so we ran away again,"

"Shortly after takeoff ... the aircraft veered off to the right and crashed on the east side of the runway," the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal advised in a statement.  In videos of the scene, it appears that the aircraft tilted sideways before attempting to level out and hitting the ground, close to the airport. 

Dan Bahadur Karki, a spokesperson for the local police told BBC Nepali 'that the pilot sustained injuries to his eyes and forehead but was not in a life-threatening condition. 

Mukesh Khanal, head of marketing at Saurya Airlines said: The plane was scheduled to undergo maintenance for a month beginning Thursday ... It is unclear why it crashed"

It is understood the aircraft was one of two Bombardier CRJ-200 regional jets Saurya Airlines has in its fleet

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Philippine Airlines Dash 8 Q400 runs off the runway in heavy rain.

A seven-year-old Dash 8 Q400 of Philippine Airlines has suffered minor damage following a runway excursion whilst landing in heavy rain.

The aircraft with the registration RP-C5905 was operating flight PR2680 from Cebu-Mactan Airport to Busuanga Francisco B. Reyes Airport with 57 people onboard. Local reports say the aircraft may have landed late on the runway and because of the excess surface water on the strip, is believed to have aquaplaned before coming to a halt on the grass. 

There were no reported injuries among the crew and passengers on the aircraft at the time of the incident.

Video posted by Dianne Pagas and @JacdecNew

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Investigation underway into light aircraft crash in Northamptonshire

A man in his 60s has died after a light aircraft he was flying crashed at Spanhoe Airfield, near Laxton, Northamptonshire, at about 12:50 on Saturday, local police confirmed.  

East Midlands Ambulance said it received reports of a medical emergency at about 12:44,  "We sent two paramedics in solo response cars and a crewed ambulance.  The air ambulance, police and fire were also on scene." a spokesperson said. 

The AAIB confirmed a team of inspectors has been sent to begin investigating the accident "An investigation has begun into an accident involving a light aircraft which occurred on 13 July at Spanhoe Airfield, Northamptonshire. A team of inspectors has travelled to the accident site to make enquiries and gather evidence as part of the process of conducting a safety investigation."

Anyone who may have information that could help with the investigation is asked to call Northamptonshire Police on 101.  "Please quote incident number 242 of 13/07/24 when providing any information to make sure it gets to the right person as quickly as possible."

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Sukhoi Superjet 100 jet crashes into forest

A Sukhoi Superjet 100 jet has crashed in a forest near the town of Kolomna, Russian State media has reported today.

According to the latest reports, the jet wasn't carrying passengers at the time of the incident but all three crew members had perished in the crash. It would appear that the plane was operating a test flight following a recent repair when it came down in a wooded area.   The aircraft belonged to Gazpromavia, the energy provider's own airline which had entered service in 2014.

 

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The Sukhoi Superjet 100, is a regional jet with a capacity of between 87 and 98 passengers, it was designed and manufactured by Sukhoi Civil Aircraft.  Development began in 2000, and the SSJ100 made its maiden flight on May 19, 2008. The first commercial flight occurred on April 21, 2011, with Armavia. The twin-jet has a maximum takeoff weight (MTOW) of 46–49 tons and is used by a small number of airlines including Aeroflot. 

The SSJ100 is powered by two PowerJet SaM146 turbofans, jointly developed by French Safran and Russian NPO Saturn. These engines provide 77–79 kN (17,000–18,000 lb f) of thrust.

As of November 2021, the fleet had logged over 2 million flight hours. However, before this latest crash, the SSJ100 has suffered three hull loss accidents resulting in 86 fatalities.

In 2022, Sukhoi announced a 'Russified' version, replacing Western components with domestic alternatives which had been put on a sanction list following Russia's invasion of Ukraine.  The company confirmed at the time, that the Aviadvigatel PD-8 engine would replace the existing ones.  It is unclear at this stage what engines today's crashed aircraft was powered by. 

Gazpromavia was established in 1995 and is based in Moscow. it operates passenger and cargo services, along with domestic and international charter flights. The carrier's home base is Ostafyevo Airport, where the majority of its fleet is based. The Company operates more than 30 fixed-winged aircraft of the following types: Boeing 737–700, Sukhoi Superjet 100, Dassault Falcon 900EX EASy, Dassault Falcon 900B, Yakovlev-42D, Yakovlev-40, Tupolev-154M, Antonov-74, Ilyushin-76TD and more than 100 helicopters: Mi-2, Mi-171A, Mi-8 and Kamov-26.

Hailstorm severely damages Austrian Airlines Airbus A320

An Austrian Airlines Airbus A320 aircraft was badly damaged after flying into a heavy and intense hailstorm during a flight on Sunday afternoon.

Austrian Airlines confirmed the incident occurred after the aircraft flew into a thunderstorm "which was not visible on the weather radar", and advised that none of the passengers onboard had been injured during the incident. 

The carrier said that a technical team has been "tasked with assessing the specific damage to the aircraft - As of now, the hail has damaged the two front cockpit windows, the aircraft nose (radome), and some coverings,"

Pictures show the nose cone of the aircraft badly damaged, with most of it disintegrated and the windscreens cracked and marked with hailstone impact marks.  At this stage, it is unclear on how many panes of glass were damaged in the incident.  

The A320 was operating flight 0S434 from Majorca to Vienna on Sunday when the crew declared an emergency after flying through a storm that, according to passengers, shook the aircraft with some force as it started its approach to Vienna.

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Harbour Air seaplane collides with boat in Vancouver...

A number of people were injured over the weekend then a Harbour Air aircraft collieded with a recreational boat in Coal Harbour, Vancouver. 

Harbour Air, North America’s leading seaplane airline, confirmed the seaplane had been in the take-off stage of a scenic tour with five passengers on board when it came into contact with the boat. The airline revealed that all of the passengers and the pilot were uninjured in the incident.

The local Vancouver Police Department said a number of people were treated for minor injuries with two taken to hospital. BC Emergency Health Services told local media that none of the other 10 people required transport to hospital. 

Harbour Air has a fleet of 45 aircraft and offers up to 300 daily scheduled flights, scenic tours, adventure packages, and private flights. With over 12 scheduled destinations connecting downtown Vancouver, Victoria, Seattle (WA), Nanaimo, Tofino, Whistler, Vancouver Airport/Richmond, Sechelt, Salt Spring Island, Powell River and Comox, B.C. Harbour Air transports around 500,000 passengers every year.

The de Havilland Canada DHC-2 Beaver registration C-FFHA is currently underweater and attached to a barge at the Main Street Dock.

The Canadian Transportation Safety Board (TSB) confirmed and investigation was underwayt an d that it had already begun conducting witness interviews and was working with an aircraft recovery team to understand its plans. "In the next few days, the investigation team will attend the aircraft recovery, examine the wreckage, continue gathering information, and conduct more interviews," a TSB spokesperson confirmed. 

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Ministry of Defence confirms the death of Squadron Leader Mark Long

The UK's Ministry of Defence confirmed the death of Squadron Leader Mark Long, from Bury St Edmunds, who was killed in the Battle of Britain Memorial flight Spitfire crash on Saturday. An investigation is underway into why the old warbird came down shortly after taking off from RAF Coningsby, Lincolnshire around 13:20. 

While studying Economics at the University of Warwick, Mark learnt to fly on the University of Birmingham Air Squadron. He graduated from Initial Officer Training in 2003 and was subsequently sent to RAF Linton on Ouse to fly the Tucano, gaining his ‘wings’ in 2004. His Advanced Flying Training was on the Hawk and he was selected to remain on 208(R) Squadron to take on the role of an Instructor.

On completion of his instructional tour, Mark converted to the Harrier GR7/9 and was posted to 1(F) Squadron, RAF Cottesmore. He was the last RAF Harrier pilot qualified to conduct operations off an aircraft carrier.

In 2012 Mark joined the Typhoon Force, and was assigned to XI Squadron at RAF Coningsby, before an assignment to 29 Squadron in 2014 on instructional duties. In 2016 he was the Typhoon Display Pilot. His primary role was to teach the student pilots how to operate the Typhoon.

In addition to his instructional duties, Mark contributed to RAF Coningsby’s primary task of defending UK sovereign airspace by undertaking Quick Reaction Alert (QRA) duties, both in the UK and in the British Forces South Atlantic Islands (Falklands Islands), and additionally conducting QRA duties whilst on Baltic Air Policing Operations in Lithuania.

Mark lived in Lincolnshire with his wife, two daughters and dog. 2024 was his fourth season with the BBMF.

Mark’s family said:  "Mark lived his life with an unwavering passion with laughter, love, and dedication to his family. His talent for flying was there for all to see, and his ability to connect to everyone he met was infectious.  Mark will be cherished and deeply missed by us all."

Squadron Leader Mark Sugden, Officer Commanding Battle of Britain Memorial Flight, said:  "In life, we are occasionally privileged to meet incredible people like Mark. Mark touched the hearts of everyone that he met, always prioritising the needs of others before himself. The epitome of a military fighter pilot, he personified the very best of the Royal Air Force and the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight. We were lucky to have him as part of the team and part of our BBMF family. Always a vision of calm, Mark faced life’s obstacles with a wry smile, a knowing nod and a pint of tea. Above all, he was a devoted husband and a proud father. Whilst words alone cannot adequately convey our loss, he will remain forever “the best boss that BBMF never had."

Iran President Helicopter crash latest -

The helicopter carrying Iran's president has been involved in a crash or heavy landing during a flight in foggy weather. 

There had been some the helicopter had been found, by some rescuers, which has since been denied by the local Red Crescent office. 

This news follows on from unconfirmed reports indicating that telephone contact may have been made with a passenger and a crew member of the downed helicopter.

President Ebrahim Raisi was travelling over far northwest of Iran following a visit to Azerbaijan in a convoy of three helicopters.  According to local news channels, the incident happened between Uzi and Jolfa, approximately 378 miles away from Tehran, although no wreckage has thus far been located or the helicopters sited. 

Interior minister Ahmed Vahidi said "The esteemed president and company were on their way back aboard some helicopters and one of the helicopters was forced to make a hard landing due to the bad weather and fog. - Various rescue teams are on their way to the region but because of the poor weather and fogginess it might take time for them to reach the helicopter."

A spokesperson for the emergency services told state media that a rescue helicopter had tried to reach the site but couldn't land due to the fog in the area. Local media are now also reporting the incident as a crash, leading some to speculate the helicopter was willfully brought down. 

President Raisi had been in Azerbaijan for the inauguration of a dam with the country's president, Ilham Aliyev. Following news of the incident, the President of Azerbaijan said he was 'seriously worried'  hearing about Ebrahim Raisi's helicopter crash. "Today, after meeting with the President of the Islamic Republic of Iran Ibrahim Raisi we were seriously worried by the news that the helicopter carrying the high delegation made an emergency landing in Iran.  - Our prayers to almighty God are with President Ibrahim Raisi and his accompanying delegation." 

He also said that his nation, Azerbaijan was ready to provide any necessary support to Iran.

2018 Leicester City Football Club helicopter disaster inquest resumes

H.M. Senior Coroner for Leicester City & South Leicestershire has resumed the inquests into the deaths of five people who were killed in a helicopter crash at King Power Stadium on 27 October 2018.

Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha (Chairman of Leicester City Football Club), Eric Swaffer, Izabela Lechowicz, Nusara Suknami and Kaveporn Punpara all lost their lives in this major aviation accident, now five and a half years ago.

UK law firm Stewarts’ aviation team, partners Sarah Stewart and Peter Neenan, are instructed by the families of Khun Vichai, Eric and Izabela and have instructed Philip Shepherd KC and Bajal Shah as counsel for the family of Khun Vichai.

Professor Catherine Mason held a pre-inquest hearing today in Leicester Town Hall in order to hear submissions on a number of procedural issues.

The Air Accident Investigation Branch (AAIB) carried out an investigation into the accident and these inquests have been on hold pending the investigation’s final report which was published on 6 September 2023. The court heard arguments over the status of the AAIB investigation and whether it was in any way “incomplete, flawed or deficient” such as to warrant the Senior Coroner carrying out her own further investigation or whether she could and should adopt and accept the findings therein.

Concerns were raised on behalf of three of the bereaved families represented by Stewarts over the length of time taken by the AAIB to produce their final report, and the cause of that delay, which has in turn impacted the progress of the inquests and prolonged their suffering.

A further PIRH will be listed towards the end of 2024 with the final inquest hearing likely to take place over 2-3 weeks in early 2025.

Air101: Leicester City Football Club helicopter disaster...... an accident just waiting to happen. AAIB Report published.

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Boeing Finally Settles Lawsuit of Deadly Spanair Crash After 15 Years of Legal Battles

Boeing has finally settled for an undisclosed amount in the lawsuit that resulted from the deaths of 154 passengers and crewmembers in Spain over 15 years ago. The case was brought against Boeing as the manufacturer of the ill-fated plane through their acquisition of McDonald Douglas. BCA argued that Boeing was aware of a mechanical defect that increased the risk of error during takeoff but failed to apply a known fix to all of their planes. While there were initially several law firms involved in the litigation, only Brent Coon & Associates held out and fought for a trial for their clients. After all of the legal wrangling, the Civil Courts in Spain finally allowed litigation to move forward to trial, 15 years after Spanair flight JK5022 crashed, killing 154 people.  

Brent Coon, whose firm undertook representation early on in the initial lawsuit in California, finally feels like his clients have been vindicated.  “We have been fighting the good fight for these victims and their families for well over a decade. It has been extraordinarily frustrating to see Boeing dodging accountability for so long, and to succeed in convincing our own judiciary that the victims would get a swift and fair trial in Spain. They knew that wasn’t going to be the case, and showed their true colours once they obtained the rulings throwing everything back into the laps of the Spanish courts, which rarely deal with this type of complex litigation. We weren’t surprised to see them undertake multiple protracted appeals of the trial court rulings to further delay the matter and wear down these families, who were already devastated by the loss of their loved ones and impatient to ride out appeal after appeal. But we have weathered all the storms and got a definitive trial date. This positioned us to negotiate a fair settlement of our claims and these families can finally have closure.   Spanish government oversight of the airline industry is frankly pretty weak or this would likely not have been allowed to happen in the first place,” says Mr. Coon.  

Ivan De Miguel Perez, Spanish counsel to the plaintiffs, had this to say: “These recent developments allowed us to see that justice is now finally available for the people we have represented for such a long time in a tragic accident that happened as a result of negligence on a massive scale. While the terms of the settlements are confidential, we believe that our clients are receiving the maximum amount they would have been awarded by the court under the laws applicable to these types of claims in Spanish law.   It has been a pleasure working with Brent Coon & Associates as their Spanish local counsel and look forward to working again with such a dedicated team of lawyers and staff. They just don’t give up”.

Air101: Why is one of the deadliest crashes in aviation history yet to be resolved after 15 years?

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No technical faults found in preliminary investigation of S-76 Norway crash.

No technical faults have been found on the Bristow Helicopters Sikorsky S-92  that was involved in a crash in Norway at the end of last month, investigators report.

The bulk of the helicopter was recovered on 1st March along with the flight recorders which were sent to the UK's Civil Aviation Authority. They have since been downloaded successfully according to the Norwegian Safety Investigation Authority (NSIA) which confirmed the investigation is continuing.  

The NSIA warned the investigation was still at an early stage, advising it was “too early to draw any conclusions” however, thus far it “has not observed any technical fault which contributed to the accident”. The NSIA added, “We have downloaded data and it is currently being analysed. We have had interviews with some of the crew from the helicopter,”.

The accident happened during a training search and rescue flight, approximately 15 nautical miles west of Bergen, Norway.  The helicopter, registration LN-OIJ, was operating with six crew members onboard at the time of the incident. One fatality was confirmed on the day of the crash and the other five crew members have suffered varying levels of injuries. 

Bristow Helicopters stated "Our thoughts are with all those affected during this incredibly difficult period. At this time, the full resources of Bristow’s incident response team are being mobilized. The company is in the process of contacting and providing assistance to family members of those onboard and fully cooperating with authorities responding to the incident. Our highest priority is to take care of our crew and their family members and provide them with any assistance needed."

Flight Global reports that images of the wreckage indicate the main rotor and tail rotor were spinning at the time of impact. The S-92 was fitted with automatic floats which should deploy in events of this kind, however, images of LN-OIJ show these floats had not deployed.

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American Airlines has placed an order for 85 Boeing 737 MAX jets.

Boeing is celebrating a new order from American Airlines for its troubled 737 MAX jets, just at a time when the manufacturer needs some good news. 

It was confirmed today, that the U.S. mega-carrier is amending a previous order for 737 MAX 8 planes to the bigger version of the type the MAX 10. Plus it is further ordering 85 aircraft, with an option for another 75 MAX 10 jets.  

"Over the past decade, we have invested heavily to modernize and simplify our fleet, which is the largest and youngest among U.S. network carriers," said American's CEO Robert Isom. "These orders will continue to fuel our fleet with newer, more efficient aircraft so we can continue to deliver the best network and record-setting operational reliability for our customers."

The Boeing 737 MAX 10 can carry up to 230 passengers and is said to offer a range of up to 3,100 nautical miles with a full load. 

The whole MAX programme has been beset with problems since its inception and maiden flight back on 29th January 2016. Two fatal crashes of this type - Lion Air Flight 610 in late 2018 and Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 in early 2019, took the lives of 346 leading to a worldwide grounding of the 737 MAX jets.  More recently, loose and missing bolts on door plugs have been found after urgent inspections were carried out after an Alaska Airlines' jet suffered a major blowout mid-flight. The programme has also suffered from issues relating to fuel tank debris, wing spur cracks, misaligned holes, fuselage quality issues and supply chain delays are all taking their toll. 

The Federal Aviation Administration said on Monday that an audit into Boeing and supplier Spirit AeroSystems regarding the 737 MAX programme found multiple instances where the companies allegedly failed to comply with manufacturing quality control requirements. There were "non-compliance issues in Boeing’s manufacturing process control, parts handling and storage, and product control."

Last week, the FAA ordered Boeing to develop and present a comprehensive plan to address "systemic quality-control issues within 90 days.  

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United Airlines finds loose bolts during inspections of 737 MAX 9 planes....

United Airlines says it has found bolts in need of "additional tightening" during inspections of Boeing 737 MAX 9 which had been removed from service following the blowout of a doorplug on an Alaska Airlines aircraft last week. 

United Airlines said it believed these to be "installation issues" relating to door plugs and these will be "remedied" before the aircraft type can return to operational use. 

"Since we began preliminary inspections on Saturday, we have found instances that appear to relate to installation issues in the door plug - for example, bolts that needed additional tightening." the statement said. 

The grounding of the 737 MAX 9 jets has caused United to cancel over 200 flights as of Monday and the U.S. mega-carrier expects a significant number of cancellations on Tuesday.  "We have been able to operate some planned flights by switching to other aircraft types, avoiding about 30 cancellations each on Monday and Tuesday,". 

Alaska Airlines 737 MAX 9 had three previous pressure warnings before blowout flight.

Jennifer Homendy, chair of the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board said today that the Boeing 737 MAX 9 that suffered a blowout had been restricted by the carrier, Alaska Airlines from doing long flights over water because of three previous warnings of potential pressurization problems

According to Homendy, the warning light illuminated on three different occasions - 7 December, 3 January and 4 January leading the airline to restrict it from operating flights to Hawaii or other long flights over water so the 737 MAX 9 “could return very quickly to an airport” if the warning light reappeared

Whilst it is unclear if the previous warnings were connected with the incident on Friday when a plug covering an unused emergency exit door blew off the plane as it flew over Oregon.  The door plug is 26 by 48 inches and weighs 63 pounds / 28.5 kilograms. The NTSB confirmed the lost door plug had been found in the garden of a teacher from Portland and would soon be examined by investigators.

Homendy also said that the depressurization and rush of air damaged a number of seats, pulled insulation from the walls, and caused the cockpit door to flew open. She said the force of air also ripped the headset off the co-pilot and the captain lost part of her headset. A quick reference checklist flew out of the open cockpit. The cockpit doors are supposed to be incredibly strong and locked at all times during a flight following the 9/11 hijackings, so shouldn't have been able to be opened by the wind. 

 Aviation services provider AAR Corp confirmed that it had worked on the aircraft for Alaska Airlines, but had not worked on that area of the aircraft.  "AAR was contracted by Alaska Airlines to perform a 2KU Modification (WiFi modification) on the aircraft that was performed from Nov. 27 to Dec. 7, 2023," AAR said in a statement on Monday. 

Airlines have now been cleared to carry out urgent checks on the 171 Boeing 737 MAX 9 jets that are in service after Boeing issued detailed instructions on Monday, which were approved by the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration. These checks, rapidly introduced before the cause of the plug blowing out is known are said to take between 4 and 8 hours could be an indication of the pressure being brought by the manufacturer to stem the damage to the reputation of the MAX series of aircraft. 

 

Cockpit voice recorder data on the Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 MAX 9 jet which lost a panel mid-flight on Friday was overwritten.....

The cockpit voice recorder data on the Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 MAX 9 jet which lost a panel mid-flight on Friday was overwritten, U.S. authorities said, renewing attention on an industry call for longer in-flight recordings. By Valerie Insinna, David Shepardson and Lisa Barrington for Reuters. 

National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) chair Jennifer Homendy said on Sunday no data was available on the cockpit voice recorder because it was not retrieved within two hours - when recording restarts, erasing previous data.

The U.S. requires cockpit voice recorders to log two hours of data versus 25 hours in Europe for planes made after 2021.

The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) has since 2016 called for 25-hour recording on planes manufactured from 2021.

"There was a lot going on, on the flight deck and on the plane. It's a very chaotic event. The circuit breaker for the CVR (cockpit voice recorder) was not pulled. The maintenance team went out to get it, but it was right at about the two-hour mark," Homendy said.

The plane's flight data recorder and cockpit voice recorder were sent to NTSB labs on Sunday to be read but no voice data was available, she said.

The UK's AAIB has sent an investigation team to Tokyo

A team of inspectors has been sent to Tokyo to join the investigation into the fatal aircraft accident at Haneda Airport, 2 January 2024

The AAIB has sent a team of inspectors to Tokyo to assist the Japan Transport Safety Board investigation into the tragic aircraft accident which occurred on 2 January at Haneda Airport, Tokyo. The investigation is being led by the Japan Transport Safety Board, and the AAIB as State of Manufacture of the Rolls-Royce engines fitted to the Airbus A350 has appointed an accredited representative.

Japan Airlines A350 crash latest....

Local authorities in Japan issued confirmation that the Japan Airlines A350 had been cleared to land at Haneda International Airport in Tokyo. Seconds later it collided with a Coast Guard  Bombardier Dash-8 and erupted in flames, which should not have been on the runway, having been instructed to taxi to the holding point C5 and not cleared to enter the runway area. 

Five of the six crew members on the Coast Guard aircraft were killed in the crash, and the sixth,  the pilot escaped with some injuries.  The aircraft had been due to transport aid to regions hit by a 7.6 magnitude earthquake that struck Japan on Monday. 

 

The Ministry of Transport in Japan released a transcript that confirmed the A350 crew had been cleared to land:

JAL516:              17:43:02   "Tokyo Tower, JAL516 Spot 18"

Control Tower:    17:43:02    "JAL516 Tokyo Tower, good evening, Runway 34R, continue approach, wind 320/7, we have departure"

JAL516:              17:43:12    "JAL516 continue approach 34R"

Control Tower:    17:44:56    "JAL516 Runway 34R cleared to land, wind 310/8

JAL516:              17:45:01    "Cleared to land, runway 34R, JAL516"

JA722A:              17:45:11    "Tower, JA722A, C"

Control Tower:    17:45:11    "JA722A, Tokyo tower, good evening, No:1 taxi to holding point C5"

JA722A:              17:45:19    "Taxi to holding point C5, JA722A No:1, thank you" 

Japan Airlines flight details: 

Date and Time: January 2, 2024 (Tuesday) around 17:47 (JST)

Location: Tokyo International Airport (Haneda Airport), Runway C

Flight Number: JL516

Departure: New Chitose Airport - Scheduled departure time: 15:50 - Actual departure time: 16:15

Arrival: Haneda Airport - Scheduled arrival time: 17:35 - Actual arrival time: 17:47

Number of Passengers: 359 adults + 8 infants = 367 in total

Number of Crew: 3 cockpit crew members + 9 cabin crew members = 12 in total

Passenger Situation: 1 person with bruising, 13 people requested medical consultation due to physical 

discomfort

Aircraft Type and Registration: Airbus A350-900, Registration Number JA13XJ

Aircraft Condition: Total loss

The carrier released the following summary:

After departing from New Chitose Airport at 16:15 on January 2, the aircraft flew smoothly (*1), and after landing at Haneda Airport Runway C at 17:47 (*2), the aircraft collided with a Japan Coast Guard aircraft and caught fire. All passengers and crew members on our flight successfully performed an emergency evacuation (*3). Support is being provided to each passenger in terms of their condition and assistance for their return home.

Japan Airlines A350 collides with DHC-8 whilst landing in Tokyo.

The crew of a Japan Airlines aircraft are being hailed as heroes after all 367 passengers and 12 crew evacuated their Airbus A350 aircraft that burst into flames following a collision with another aircraft at the point of landing at  Haneda International Airport in Tokyo, earlier today.

Dramatic pictures and videos are flooding social media following the incident that clearly shows the aircraft erupting into flames as it travels down the runway. The initial fear from those on the ground, witnessing the disaster unfold from various points all over the airport would have been the certain death of all those onboard. However, whilst the videos and images show how the aircraft seemed to lose its nose gear, the plane came to a halt and all passengers and crew managed to escape the burning craft. 

Video from inside the A350 shows the orange glow of flames lighting up the windows and the cabin start to fill with light smoke as the stricken aeroplane continues down the runway.  Passengers seemed on the whole to be calm initially and then the evacuation took place. According to officials, nobody suffered serious injury during the crash or the evacuation.

The A350-900 operated by Japan Airlines was operating flight JAL516 from Sapporo New Chitose Airport to Haneda International Airport when it collided with a Coastguard DHC-8 aircraft whilst landing in Haneda.  The incident occurred shortly after 17:47 local time on 02 January 2024 and all 367 passengers and 12 crew members on board evacuated the A350,  whilst Japanese authorities have now confirmed five of the six people on board the DHC-8 did not survive.

The A350 aircraft involved in the accident, registered under the number JA13XJ, was MSN 538, and delivered to Japan Airlines from the production line on 10 November 2021. It was powered by Rolls-Royce Trent XWB engines.

Japan Airlines issued the following statement:  "We regret to inform you that on the evening of January 2nd, JL516 was involved in a collision with a Japan Coast Guard aircraft during its landing at Haneda Airport, resulting in a fire on the runway. Our thoughts and prayers are with the deceased members of the Japan Coast Guard. We want to assure you that all passengers and crew on our flight were safely evacuated.

We would like to extend our sincerest apologies for the distress and inconvenience caused to our passengers, their families, and all those affected by this incident. We would like to assure you that we will provide our full cooperation in the investigation of this unfortunate event."

Plane maker Airbus issued the following statement "In line with International Civil Aviation Organization (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."

The remarkable evacuation of all passengers and crew from the A350 is amazing and is a testament to the way the A350 is constructed.  With its carbon fibre composites and different manufacturing, the plane seems to have held up very well following the collision and subsequent fire which undoubtedly gave those on board more time to escape down the evacuation chutes.  According to local news outlets, only 17 people sustained minor injuries during the evacuation. 

Whilst the exact cause is not yet known and an investigation has been started, preliminary reports indicate the pilots of the Japan Airlines flight did not spot any other aircraft on the runway prior to landing.  Tadayuki Tsutsumi, Japan Airlines senior vice president of corporate safety and security commented the plane “entered the runway as normal and began landing as normal and that there was an impact, which led to the accident, but we are still investigating further details.”

Senior Vice President of Japan Airlines Noriyuki Aoki appeared to blame the flight crew for the disaster at a press conference on Tuesday evening, saying “However, I can't say at this time if they [Japan Airlines crew] were cleared to land, or if they communicated with ATC, because that is a fundamental factor in the cause of the accident, and we are still trying to confirm that,” 

Video content from BBC News

Airbus to send specialists to Japan in wake of A350 crash

The European aircraft manufacturer, Airbus has confirmed it will be sending specialists to Japan after one of its A350 jets burst into flames on the runway following a collision with another aircraft.

The A350-900 operated by Japan Airlines was operating flight JAL516 from Sapporo New Chitose Airport to Haneda International Airport when it collided with a DHC-8 aircraft whilst landing in Haneda.  All 367 passengers and 12 crew members on board evacuated the A350,  whilst Japanese authorities have now confirmed five of the six people on board the DHC-8 did not survive.

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.

Airbus said in a statement "In line with International Civil Aviation Organization (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."

Adding "Our concerns and sympathy go to the families, friends and loved ones affected by the accident."

Why is one of the deadliest crashes in aviation history yet to be resolved after 15 years?

Courts in Spain are finally allowing a trial to move forward next month on Spanair flight JK5022 which crashed on takeoff, killing 154 passengers, with a miraculous handful of survivors. After 15 years of stalling and stonewalling by Boeing with multiple appeals and other interruptions, both sides are at last preparing for the courtroom showdown in January of 2024. The gruelling delays outlasted many of the plaintiff's willingness to continue the battle, with the families of less than a dozen passengers aboard the ill-fated flight left to stand trial. The Texas-anchored law firm Brent Coon & Associates pressed on with most of their clients to make sure that they would eventually receive the justice they deserved and be able to tell the full story of why this happened in the first place and how easy it would have been for Boeing to have added an inexpensive safety feature to the electronics on the jet to avoid takeoff when the wing flaps are not in the correct configuration. 

The saga of Spanair flight JK5022 continues

On the 20th of August 2008, a Spanish airliner taking off from Madrid stalled and crashed just moments after liftoff, careening off the runway and exploding in flames as hundreds looked on in horror. By the time firefighters reached the crash site beside runway 36L, the plane lay ruined and burning, surrounded by the charred remains of 154 passengers and crew, who just moments earlier had been bound for the sunny beaches of the Canary Islands. Amid the wreckage, rescuers managed to find just 18 survivors, all badly injured, who had been spared by the flames.

At first, no one could say why Spanair flight 5022 was unable to climb, but the truth was soon revealed in the wreckage itself. Somehow, the pilots had sent their plane hurtling down the runway without extending the flaps and slats for takeoff, then failed to detect their error in time to avoid a catastrophic crash. It was the same mistake which had caused tragedy after tragedy, from America to Indonesia, and now it had happened again in the heart of Spain’s capital city.  And just as in accidents past, a crucial alarm that should have warned of the danger failed to sound. How could it have happened again? Had the lessons of the past gone unheeded? A comprehensive investigation would eventually reveal how regulatory failures prevented the detection of the faulty warning, and how a series of delays, interruptions, and stressors when mixed with poor procedural design, led a normally competent crew to attempt a takeoff without performing one of the most basic steps to prepare their aeroplane for flight. Moreover, and even worse, was the fact that Boeing had a fix for this situation that would have prevented the aeroplane from taking off in the first place but had decided not to install it, or advise owners of the aeroplanes to have it installed as an easy and inexpensive retrofit. 

In analyzing the basic sequence of events that led to the crash, the federal investigative agency, the CIAIAC, noted pilot error due to a combination of psychological stress from pressure to take off in a timely manner and a poorly implemented checklist system. And the international press predominantly ran with this simple narrative of “pilot error”. But was that the end of the story…. hardly.