90-second drills helped JAL crew lead passengers out of flaming jet
Ninety seconds. That is the amount of time Japan Airlines crew members are given in passenger evacuation training. The rigorous training paid off for the 12 JAL crew members who led all 367 passengers to safety after Flight 516 collided with a Japan Coast Guard plane at Tokyo's Haneda Airport on Tuesday. In an evacuation seen as a remarkable feat, all made it to safety in 18 minutes. The plane took off from New Chitose Airport near Sapporo at 4:15 p.m. on Tuesday, 25 minutes behind schedule. The flight was nearly full with passengers returning to Tokyo after vacationing in Hokkaido. An uneventful flight turned into a near-catastrophe an hour and half later. The plane crashed into the coast guard aircraft at 5:47 p.m. as it landed at Haneda. "I felt a bigger shock than usual and felt like my body was being pushed forward," a Tokyo university student said. From the window, she saw flames coming from near the engine. "What's going on?" a 28-year-old man asked a friend traveling with him. When he saw white smoke billowing into the cabin, he fell silent and covered his mouth with his hand. Hearing flight attendants discussing using the emergency exits, it dawned on him that something had gone terribly wrong. Crew members called out "We're going to be OK" and "Please calm down," but tensions heightened. Outside the window was a sea of red flames, and children were crying. Passengers were instructed to stay seated with their heads down until told otherwise, and some called on those around them to listen and comply. It took five to 15 minutes for the exits to open. Some crew members used megaphones to guide passengers because the PA system was not working. Five of the eight exits were deemed unusable because of the fire. Passengers eventually began to escape from the plane using evacuation slides from three exits: the left and right sides in the front of the plane, and on the left side behind the last row. The coast guard was notified of the accident around the same time, at 5:55 p.m., when the captain of the coast guard plane, who had managed to escape, reported to Haneda base. "The aircraft exploded on the runway. The condition of the other occupants is unknown," the captain said.<br/>
https://portal.staralliance.com/cms/news/hot-topics/2024-01-04/oneworld/90-second-drills-helped-jal-crew-lead-passengers-out-of-flaming-jet
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90-second drills helped JAL crew lead passengers out of flaming jet
Ninety seconds. That is the amount of time Japan Airlines crew members are given in passenger evacuation training. The rigorous training paid off for the 12 JAL crew members who led all 367 passengers to safety after Flight 516 collided with a Japan Coast Guard plane at Tokyo's Haneda Airport on Tuesday. In an evacuation seen as a remarkable feat, all made it to safety in 18 minutes. The plane took off from New Chitose Airport near Sapporo at 4:15 p.m. on Tuesday, 25 minutes behind schedule. The flight was nearly full with passengers returning to Tokyo after vacationing in Hokkaido. An uneventful flight turned into a near-catastrophe an hour and half later. The plane crashed into the coast guard aircraft at 5:47 p.m. as it landed at Haneda. "I felt a bigger shock than usual and felt like my body was being pushed forward," a Tokyo university student said. From the window, she saw flames coming from near the engine. "What's going on?" a 28-year-old man asked a friend traveling with him. When he saw white smoke billowing into the cabin, he fell silent and covered his mouth with his hand. Hearing flight attendants discussing using the emergency exits, it dawned on him that something had gone terribly wrong. Crew members called out "We're going to be OK" and "Please calm down," but tensions heightened. Outside the window was a sea of red flames, and children were crying. Passengers were instructed to stay seated with their heads down until told otherwise, and some called on those around them to listen and comply. It took five to 15 minutes for the exits to open. Some crew members used megaphones to guide passengers because the PA system was not working. Five of the eight exits were deemed unusable because of the fire. Passengers eventually began to escape from the plane using evacuation slides from three exits: the left and right sides in the front of the plane, and on the left side behind the last row. The coast guard was notified of the accident around the same time, at 5:55 p.m., when the captain of the coast guard plane, who had managed to escape, reported to Haneda base. "The aircraft exploded on the runway. The condition of the other occupants is unknown," the captain said.<br/>
