While the pictures and videos of the Japan Airlines plane turning into a fireball after runway collision shocked the world, one question remains on everyone’s mind – How did all flyers and crew members escape the inferno? The answer is – its more about textbook method that was followed by everyone on the ill-fate plane and less about miracle. Several ground reports give a chilling account of what happened to Japan Airlines flight 516. The Airbus A350 had a high-impact collision with another smaller plane during the landing at the Tokyo Airport. The impact was such that the Airbus aircraft immediately caught fire.
First came the shock and then…
The immediate response of every flyer was shock. Before the enormity of the situation could be gauged, passengers experienced extreme heat and eye-burning, throat-choking smoke. And finally, everyone realised the clear and present danger and rushed to the exit doors.
Method over miracle
According to a BBC report, the key factor that helped the crew in saving everyone was that none of the flyers insisted on taking their hand luggage when told to leave the burning plane. All passengers were ‘well-behaved’ and completely followed the safety norms, the BBC report said. Leaving behind their valuables helped the crew to get the flyers out of the plane in a few minutes. The plane was nose down after the collision and only three escape slides were operating. The PSA system was not working. Crew had to shout out the instructions or use megaphone. All this points to the rigorous training conducted by the airlines that resulted in textbook evacuation.
The BBC report says that only three inflatable slides were available for passenger evacuation, but due to the aircraft’s improper landing, they were not deployed effectively, resulting in a dangerously steep slide. It should be noted that new crew members undergo rigorous three-week evacuation and rescue training before being permitted to serve on commercial flights, with the training being reiterated annually.
To attain international certification for any passenger aircraft, manufacturers must demonstrate that all occupants can exit the plane within 90 seconds. Additionally, evacuation tests may include the participation of actual passengers.
