A little miracle in Toyko

[Skybird]

https://www.bbc.com/news/live/world-asia-67862184

Japan Airlines informed Japan’s Civil Aviation Bureau that 379 people, including 367 passengers and 12 crew members, had been safely evacuated.

The crew of the coast guard plane was less lucky, though.

Still, a little miracle, helped by the fact - I assume at least - that the plane was landing, not taking of: the fuel tanks must have been quite empty.

[MGR1]

That and a demonstration of Japanese cultural discipline. If it was a Western airliner I don't think things would have gone as well.

As for the cause, we'll find out in due course, but the only thing I can think of is ATC releasing the Coast Guard aircraft onto the runway too early, or it's pilot misheard an instruction.

Mike.

[Skybird]

Originally Posted by MGR1

That and a demonstration of Japanese cultural discipline.

Imagine one or two Trumps on board! The fire would have been their smallest problem! Although of course it would have been the biggest fire ever, a real big fire, you know, the fire of all fires!

[em2nought]

Originally Posted by Skybird

Imagine one or two Trumps on board! Although of course it would have been the biggest fire ever, a real big fire, you know, the fire of all fires!

Sounds like the typical democrat's wet dream come true.

[Jimbuna]

The coastguard pilot must be thinking he's the luckiest man on earth.

[Skybird]

^ Or not. It gets reported he rolled for take-off onto the runway too early, having misinterpreted the orders by Ground. His crew now is dead.

[em2nought]

If there had been a cat on that airliner he would only have one of his nine lives left. It was a real miracle!

I believe it wasn't so much that it was an Asian airline as much as it was Asian passengers. I read one report from a 17 year old European passenger saying that the cabin was filled with a terrible to breath smoke as those 379 people bailed out of that airliner. Seeing Asians drive in Thailand makes me think they almost have a hive mind as they just seem to know what to do in crazy traffic. I was watching ten Americans board a passenger train the other day, I imagine it took them longer to board that train than it took all those passengers to get off that Japanese airliner. We, as a people are either too diverse, or we have become too stupid and or entitled to get ourselves off that plane in a timely manner.

[Skybird]

It was many things. Mentality and discipline, luck, but also that the airplane, an Airbus 350, was new and made of materials that delay the outbreak of an uncontorlled blze, they area bit more diffiuclt to start burning in full, buying time. Only the emergency reserve left in the fuel tank.



If this were an airliner from 20 or 30 years ago and on takeoff, we probably would have seen hundreds of losses, Japanese discipline given or not.

[Skybird]

https://edition.cnn.com/travel/fligh...deo/index.html



Believe it or not, while I travelled long distances in the nineties, I never have seen an airliner from inside, nor do I feel any desire for boarding such a flying cattle transport. I already hate the mere idea of it. Too crowded, too cramped space. Also, if I need to travel (which I do not like anymore, its stress and hard work...), I want to feel the actual experince of travelling the distance. But in an airliner you sit down, and a couple of hours later you unboard and have not exoerinced anythign of the diatnce covered at all. Its like a dimension-breaking wormhole travelling or a time machine. Uninteresting to me.



Now sitting in the cockpit and pressing buttons to panic the passengers - thats something else...