Footage of the plane, already partially engulfed in flames, braking on the runway, spread around the world just minutes after the crash. And the slim hope that no one on that massive Airbus A350 was injured, or worse, seemed almost an impossible hope. Instead, fortunately, it happened: but it is not a miracle. Maybe yes, a section where “mere” attention and respect for strict rules make an impact. But the rules are often ignored by passengers, including those who do not even think to take off their headphones while the staff quickly explains the procedures, and those who call their relatives for something indispensable “I’m sitting, I’ll be out soon”.

How was such a rapid evacuation possible?

Yesterday, passengers rushed to the emergency exits of the burning Japan Airlines plane without any hand luggage, following the instructions of the flight crew. Aviation experts made it clear: Just before the plane burst into flames on the runway, it was crucial to leave all valuables behind for the rapid evacuation of all 379 people on board. Haneda airport in Tokyo. Japan Airlines Flight 516 quickly turned into a fireball after colliding with a coast guard plane during landing. Five of the six people on the small plane died.

Rigorous training (and no carry-on luggage)

The flawless evacuation of the giant Japanese Airlines Airbus left the world speechless. But the crew “simply” implemented rigorous training. Passenger compliance with safety protocols also had a significant impact. “I didn’t see a single passenger with luggage in any of the videos… If people had tried to take their carry-on luggage it would have been really dangerous because it would have slowed down the evacuation,” he said. BBC Professor Ed Galea is director of the Fire Safety Engineering Group at the University of Greenwich.

Conditions in Tokyo were far from ideal for evacuation

The specific circumstances of the accident and the location of the aircraft, among other things, made yesterday’s evacuation in Tokyo particularly complicated: the conditions were far from ideal because the aircraft was “nose down”, meaning that it was “nose down”. It is difficult for passengers to move in the aisle. Inflatable slides could be used to disembark passengers, but some did not have the normal slope: the descent was steeper than it would have been if the aircraft had remained “flat”. The plane’s voice announcement system was also not perfect, so the flight crew had to use a megaphone and shout instructions; Japan Airlines confirmed this. One passenger suffered bruises and 13 other passengers required medical examination, but none reported any significant physical consequences.

There’s always some luck

Of course, things could have been much worse if the fire had grown faster and spread to another part of the plane. There is always a certain amount of luck. But flight attendants were key: Nowadays, crew members undergo rigorous evacuation training. Week-long, regularly repeated training including written exams, in-depth case studies and practical tests. When there is an emergency, there is no time to think and you automatically do what you have been trained for a long time.

90 second rule

We usually have ninety seconds to evacuate a plane, 90. Aviation regulations say so. Experts say so. One more might be too many. And there’s a very simple reason for this: In order for a passenger plane to receive international certification, the manufacturing company must show, through very stringent tests, that everyone on board can leave the plane within 90 seconds.

So when a flight attendant asks you to move the seatback to the correct position, fully upright, or to close the tables, it’s not to disrupt your comfort or provide over-sensitivity: it’s to allow everyone to get out of their seats. immediately in case of emergency landing. The same will be true if it asks you to put your bags under the seats. To make sure everyone gets off the plane alive. Like in Tokyo.