Investigators probe why coast guard plane was on runway before Japan airlines collision

A Japanese Airlines plane burned for six hours following a collision with a smaller coast guard aircraft at a Tokyo airport. Source: AFP / STR

Passengers who escaped from the Japan Airlines Airbus A350 that collided with a second plane while landing in Tokyo say they feel lucky to be alive. [[Jan 2]] All 379 people on board, including 8 Australians, managed to evacuate safely within a matter of minutes before the aircraft broke into two and was engulfed by fire. Investigators in Japan are trying to work out why a coast guard plane was on the runway when the Airbus had been cleared to land at Haneda Airport.

Download the free SBS Audio app to listen live and on-demand or explore podcasts.

Visit our Facebook for more Japanese stories and images.