A flight operated by the Japan Airlines burst into flames on the runway of Tokyo's Haneda airport after hitting a Coast Guard aircraft, reports said on January 2.
There were a total of 379 persons -- 367 passengers and 12 crew members -- onboard the flight, Japanese broadcaster NHK said, adding that all of them escaped safely.
However, Japan's Coast Guard said 5 out of its 6 crewmembers went missing after the reported collision with the passenger plane. The pilot was evacuated, the Associated Press reported.
Track live updates of Tokyo airport fire
Local TV video showed a large eruption of fire and smoke from the side of the Japan Airlines plane as it taxied on a runway. The area around the wing then caught fire. Footage an hour later showed the plane entirely engulfed in fire.
A Japan Airlines spokesperson said the plane which crashed was an Airbus A-350, JAL flight 516, which had flown out of Shin Chitose airport in Japan to Haneda.
NHK quoted Japan Airlines as saying it believed its plane was hit by another aircraft, possibly a Japan Coast Guard plane.
Japan's Coast Guard said it is investigating the possibility that its MA-722 aircraft might have collided with the flight on the runway.
Haneda is one of the busiest airports in Japan, and many people travel over the New Year holidays. The airport's runway has been closed following the accident.
The Jiji news agency reported the coast guard plane was scheduled to leave to help with rescue efforts following a massive earthquake in central Japan on January 1.
Reports said that the plane had just arrived from Sapporo airport on the northern Japanese island of Hokkaido.
A coast guard official at Haneda Airport, one of the world's busiest, said they were "checking details".
"It's not clear if there was a collision. But it is certain that our plane is involved," he told news agency AFP.
The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism said it was probing the incident, Kyodo News reported.
The television footage showed flames coming out of windows as rescue workers sprayed the aircraft before flames engulfed the entire plane.
There was also burning debris on the runway and reports said the airport was closed to traffic.
More than 70 fire engines were being deployed, NHK reported.
Japan has not suffered a serious commercial aviation accident in decades.
Its worst ever was in 1985, when a Japan Airlines jumbo jet flying from Tokyo to Osaka crashed in central Gunma region, killing 520 passengers and crew.
That disaster was one of the world's deadliest plane crashes involving a single flight.
With inputs from agencies
Discover the latest Business News, Sensex, and Nifty updates. Obtain Personal Finance insights, tax queries, and expert opinions on Moneycontrol or download the Moneycontrol App to stay updated!
