Nearly 400 people evacuated from burning A350 in 90 seconds. Why Haneda's is not a miracle

In August 1985 the engine of a British Airtours Boeing 737 (the leisure company of British Airways in those years). caught fire during the takeoff run. The pilots managed to bring the plane to a halt, allowing evacuation procedures to begin. But Of the 137 people on board, 55 lost their lives and 16 others were severely burned.

Almost 40 years later, an Airbus A350-900 of Japan Airlines was completely destroyed by flames After colliding with another aircraft During landing at Tokyo Haneda Airport.. Nevertheless, none of the 367 passengers on board were killed or even injured.

In the very different outcome of the two incidents is all the Progress made by the air transport industry in terms of crew training, of internal configuration of airplanes and of materials used on board Of today's aircraft.

And to say that the conditions for one of the worst tragedies in the history of commercial aviation to occur at Haneda were all there: the collision with another plane, the A350 touching down turned into a fireball, the passenger load near maximum capacity (367 out of 369 available seats) e only three emergency exits available for evacuation with rescue chutes, since the others could not be used because they were already affected by the flames.

Nevertheless, on Monday night the Japanese crew managed to get everyone safely out of that fire trap in 90 seconds. How can this be explained? First, by the training and cold-bloodedness of the stewardesses and stewards, who Imparted the right directions to passengers at the right time, keeping calm on board (Footage from some passengers shows how there was no panic scene on the A350, despite the fact that flames could be seen from the windows).

Fundamental is the progress that has been made in terms of the materials used for aircraft interiors-from bulkheads to hat racks to seat covers, Today everything is not only fireproof, but also made not to produce fumes, especially toxic fumes. Again videos taken with smartphones by passengers show that In the cabin, the visibility was good, which prevented passengers from falling unconscious from toxic fumes (as had happened in Manchester in '85) and allowed him to follow the flight attendants' directions accurately.

Finally, what happened on Monday in Tokyo proves, beyond the (positive) outcome of every test performed during certification of the airplane, that the A350's interior is capable of ensuring complex evacuations in dramatic situations, thanks to spaces and escape routes designed for just the worst-case scenario.

Having said the 'Haneda miracle,' the question remains (and the investigation into this has already begun), why Japan Airlines' A350 and the Japanese Coast Guard's Dash-8 (on which 5 people lost their lives) were on the same runway at the same time.

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