Passengers dashed to the emergency exits of a burning Japan Airlines jet without their hand luggage, in compliance with the flight crew’s instructions.

The simple act of leaving their valuables behind would be a “major factor” behind the speed of the evacuation, with the last person escaping just before the aircraft was engulfed in flames on the runway of Tokyo’s Haneda Airport on Tuesday, aviation experts say.

Japan Airlines Flight 516 turned into a fireball after it collided with a coastguard plane as it landed. Five of the six people on board the smaller aircraft – which had been due to deliver aid to victims of the powerful New Year’s Day earthquake – died.

But everyone on Flight 516 survived, with the flawless evacuation from the cabin as it filled with smoke astounding the world and winning praise from many. Aviation experts and industry professionals told the BBC it boiled down to staff on board putting their rigorous training into practice and “well-behaved” passengers who obeyed safety protocols.

[This crew was truly professional and every passenger on that bird should be thanking whatever gods they worship they had them. Absolute thing of beauty. As far as emergencies here, I hate to say it, but I can see the potential passenger difference immediately. “Leaving things behind.” That would be a challenge when there’s no time to argue or people die. Also, the Japanese flight crews would brook no argument. My Daddy, the Eastern Airlines captain, would get pretty torqued when he heard someone referring to the flight attendants as “glorified waitresses/waiters.” He always made a point to interject with, “Show me the wait staff that can get 250-300 people out of a burning airplane safely in under 2 minutes, and we’ll discuss it.” Or calmly out on the wing of a plane floating in the Hudson. Flight crews are tremendous and what they put up with these days from passengers? Man. ~ Beege]