Japan Airlines Plane Catches Fire in Tokyo; Safety of Carbon-Composite Fibers Questioned

Despite the fire, all passengers and crew members were able to escape, raising questions about the safety performance of carbon-composite fibers in aircraft.

A Japan Airlines plane with a fuselage made from carbon-composite fibers caught fire on the runway of Tokyo's Haneda Airport after colliding with a Japanese coast guard aircraft.
Five people on the coast guard plane were killed, but all 379 passengers and crew members on the Japan Airlines plane were able to escape.
Concerns have been raised about the safety of carbon-composite fibers, especially in the event of a fire, as the fumes are toxic and the material may be more difficult to extinguish than conventional materials.
Despite the fire, the fuselage did not burn through for some time, allowing everyone to escape. This has been seen as a positive sign for the material's safety.
Investigators are focusing on communication between the pilots of both planes and air traffic controllers at Haneda Airport.