18 MINS. OF TERROR
Flyer recalls frantic bid to flee jet
One of the 379 survivors aboard the Japanese jet that burst into flames after landing in Tokyo on Tuesday recounted how the miraculous, “chaotic,” 18-minute evacuation unfolded.
The Japan Airlines Airbus A350 collided with a coast guard earthquake relief plane after landing at Haneda International Airport at 5:47 p.m., causing the Bombardier Dash 8 to explode into a fireball, killing five of the six people aboard.
Petrifying video shows the JAL plane’s left wing engulfed in flames as it rolls to a stop, with passengers trapped inside the smoke-filled cabin screaming in terror.
Over the next 18 minutes, Flight JL516’s courageous crew of 12 worked against several obstacles — doors that wouldn’t immediately open, a failed PA system and obstructed escape chutes — to ensure all on board were evacuated, The Wall Street Journal reported.
Amid the chaos, a child reportedly called out, “Please, open the door!”
By 6:05 p.m., all 367 passengers and the crew had made it off.
One passenger recounted to the paper how his and his fellow flyers’ survival instincts and teamwork prevailed.
‘Hear this big boom’
Joseph Hayashi, 28, a Dallas native who works in Tokyo, said he initially felt at ease when the wheels touched down on the runway.
“I thought, ‘OK, smooth landing, cool,’ ” he told the Journal. “And then literally the next moment there was this huge collision and you hear this big boom.”
Panic quickly set in as smoke filled the cabin from the fire engulfing the exterior of the plane as the lights went out.
“I’m not a scientist, but I know that fire and jet fuel aren’t a good recipe,” said Hayashi, who was in seat 27B.
Hayashi told the paper it took about three to five minutes for flight attendants to pry the doors open while panicked passengers crowded to the front.
“It wasn’t like full-on pushing, but it was the first time I’ve seen Japanese people push each other,” he said.
Airline officials explained that it took time to open the doors because attendants needed confirmation that the aircraft had come to a complete stop and that it was safe to evacuate.
Hayashi said it suddenly “got eerily quiet” onboard due to confusion, and that he took cues from a seatmate who seemed to know about emergency procedures.
With the plane’s public address system out of commission, flight attendants reportedly had to shout or use megaphones to direct passengers to leave their belongings behind and take off high-heeled shoes once the doors finally opened.
Miraculously, only about a dozen people suffered minor injuries like bruises and sprains during the evacuation, according to the report.
Airline officials have chalked up the wildly successful outcome to preparedness.
Airlines are required to be able to prove to international regulators that they can evacuate a plane in 90 seconds before they are allowed to operate, but simulations with actors and debris props fall short of replicating real disasters, experts told the paper.
In the case of Flight JL516, the aircraft’s nose was pointed down by the time it finally came to a rolling stop, making it harder to navigate aisles and emergency exits, according to the article.
The cause of the collision is under investigation.