Unwavering Valour: Crew's Heroic Response in JAL516 Runway Crisis

The runway collision between the JAL516 and the Dash 8 operated by the Japan Coast Guard that occurred on the second of January was Japan Airlines' first major accident and hull loss since flight 123 in 1985. 

Firefighters took over 6 hours to extinguish the blaze that engulfed the aircraft that carried hundreds of passengers earlier, who were ushered out to safety by 12 crew members. 

The footage, which is now shared widely, showed the flight attendants in the darkened cabin gesturing for passengers to remain seated while thanking them for their cooperation. According to the airline, all 367 passengers and 12 crew disembarked in 18 minutes, with flight attendants effectively hiding unease and drawing on every bit of the safety training they were given as smoke filled the cabin.   

The actions of the pilot who brought the skidding plant to a halt on its nose, the crew who calmly relayed instructions to the passengers through megaphones when the PA system was damaged, and the passengers who remained seated before being led to evacuation while leaving their carry-ons to go up in flames, are truly commendable examples of maintaining both professionalism and the composure necessary to avert a major disaster in a few crucial moments.   

Paul Hayes, director of air safety at the UK-based aviation consultancy Ascend by Cirium, said, "The cabin crew must have done an excellent job. There don't seem to be any carry-ons. It was a miracle that all the passengers got off." 

John Cox, a pilot and founder of a US-based aviation safety consultancy, said the cabin crew "did a remarkably great job" getting passengers off the plane so quickly. "It shows good training," he said. "And if you look at the video, people are not trying to get stuff out of the overheads. They are concentrating on getting out of the airplane." 

The incredible skill and the unshakeable composure of the crew are admirable and show the sheer skill and commitment it takes to be a crew member in the sky. Still, on the flip side, it calls for more stringent regulations in the industry to avoid further disasters.