Las imágenes que circulan por las redes sociales y la cadena nacional NHK muestran al A350-900, al parecer JA13XJ (c/n 538), consumido por el fuego poco después de aterrizar en el centro nipón sobre las 17.47 hora local (0847 UTC) del 2 de enero.
Según informa la NHK, se cree que el avión de fuselaje ancho colisionó con un avión de la guardia costera japonesa.
Un dramático vídeo muestra el avión apoyado sobre su morro siendo consumido por el fuego. Al parecer, los 367 pasajeros pudieron ser evacuados.
El avión realizaba el vuelo JAL516, que conectaba Sapporo/New Chitose con Haneda.
El JA13XJ es un ejemplar de dos años de antigüedad que fue entregado a la aerolínea de bandera en noviembre de 2021. Propulsado por dos motores Rolls-Royce Trent XWB, el avión está configurado para 369 pasajeros en una disposición de tres clases.
El incidente se produce mientras Japón lidia con las secuelas de un terremoto de magnitud 7,6 que sacudió el país el día de Año Nuevo.
Se trata de una noticia de última hora que iremos actualizando.
JA13XJ is a two-year-old example that was delivered to the flag carrier in November 2021. Powered by two Rolls-Royce Trent XWB engines, the aircraft is configured to seat 369 passengers in a three-class layout.
The incident comes as Japan deals with the fallout from a 7.6-magnitude earthquake which struck the country on New Year’s Day. It has since emerged the Coast Guard aircraft involved was delivering aid to the affected region.
1525HRS UPDATE: In the wake of the incident, Airbus released the following statement:
"Airbus regrets to confirm that an A350-900 operated by Japan Airlines was involved in an accident during flight JAL516 from Sapporo New Chitose Airport to Haneda International Airport shortly after 17:47 (local time) on 02 January 2024. All 367 passengers and 12 crew members on-board evacuated the aircraft.
The A350 collided with a DHC-8 aircraft at landing in Haneda. The Japanese authorities have since confirmed that sadly five of the six people on board the DHC-8 did not survive. The exact circumstances of the event are still unknown.
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.
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."
This is a breaking story and we’ll provide updates when we get them.
