Miracle & Heroes: Japan Jet Inferno Escape

367 passengers inside flaming JA jet had minutes to flee while being confronted with stuck doors & sick escape shoots? Was it part miracle & superhero(s) as common panic was staunched until all men, women & children escaped hell fire?

Don’t know how else to explain this rare tragedy-turned-good news (although most of those in the other colliding Coast Guard plane died a horrible death.) The WSJ coverage tried to replay the “18 minutes of terror, confusion & determination to get out alive” after the runway collision by suggesting the Japan Airlines passengers sort of lucked out. As noted, “aircraft manufacturers must show they can evacuate a plane in 90 seconds [but this time & in] real life it’s usually harder. No kidding. Immediately upon impact, the back of the passenger jet as well as engines were blazing & the cabin was filling with smoke. Yet, “it took several minutes to get the plane’s doors open … the PA system didn’t work … [and] … most of the evacuation chutes weren’t available.”

On the other hand, the paper noted, “a lot went right too” once the doors were opened and “minutes before” the entire cabin was engulfed in flames. I’ll say. Somehow, most passengers “calmed down.” Japan Airlines spokesman Yasuo Numahata said of the successful evacuation: “We believe it was the result of the provision of training & knowledge brush-ups every year.” Nice try. But, THIS doesn’t happen often, if ever before. SOMETHING HELD BACK THE CABIN’S FLAMES FOR THE 367 PASSENGERS TO DEPLANE IN SOMETHING AKIN TO SINGLE FILE. SOMEBODY OR BODIES HAD TO LEAD THE MOSTLY ORDERLY EXODUS LIKE A MOSES AT THE RED SEA WITH PHAROAH (NOT FLAMES) IN HOT PURSUIT.

Davd Soul