Quick decisions by cabin attendants and cooperation by level-headed passengers contributed to the safe evacuation of 379 people from a burning Japan Airlines plane at Tokyo's Haneda Airport, an escape described in overseas media as a miracle.
The nine flight attendants overcame several obstacles during the emergency deplaning after a runway collision. With only three of the eight exits usable, cabin crew had to carry out a rapid evacuation of the 67-meter fuselage with only limited input from the cockpit as communication systems had failed, according to officials of the Japanese airline.
"I felt a shock, like somebody slammed on the brakes. Then I saw flames rising outside the window," a passenger said, explaining what happened in the cabin soon after Flight 516 landed and struck another aircraft on the runway at around 5:47 p.m. Tuesday.