Transportation
A Burning Jet, Three Exits: How 379 Flyers Were Saved in Tokyo
- Japan Airlines passengers, crew managed to escape after impact
- Modern aircraft must be able to evacuate in just 90 seconds
This article is for subscribers only.
As Japan Airlines Flight JL516 skidded to a fiery halt after colliding with another plane on the runway at Tokyo Haneda airport on Jan. 2, cabin crew faced a daunting scenario.
The intercom system to communicate between flight deck and cabin had broken down, one of the giant engines was still spinning and couldn’t be shut off, and only three of the eight escape doors were available to evacuate the stricken aircraft as flames licked up the kerosene-covered fuselage.