A passenger plane burst into flames as it landed at a Tokyo airport Tuesday, after a collision with a coast guard aircraft that killed five people, officials said.
All 379 passengers and crew were able to make it out of the Japan Airlines plane, Transport Minister Tetsuo Saito said at a news conference. The coast guard pilot escaped but five crew members were killed, he added.
The coast guard aircraft was going to fly earthquake relief to Niigata prefecture on the country’s west coast after a series of strong tremors killed at least 48 people and left widespread damage, Saito said at a news conference. There was no immediate information about the cause of the incident, he said.
Airlines don’t care if you make it off the plane in one piece.
It’s the regulatory bodies doing all the safety heavy lifting and ensuring airlines and airframe manufacturers follow the rules.
Airlines do care if a plane is out of service or totalled.
It’s manufacturers who benefit if it is.