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The pair, believed to be US citizens, were reportedly the only two people aboard the wide-body McDonnell Douglas MD-11, which was flying in from Guangzhou in southern China.
The accident was believed to be the worst ever at Japan's largest airport, one of the busiest air hubs in the world, and the meteorological agency said it had warned airlines of a risk of wind shear.
Television footage showed FedEx Flight 80 touching down about 6:50 am (0320 IST Monday). The rear wheels hit the tarmac and then the aircraft's nose hit the runway before the plane bounced onto its left wing.
It then immediately exploded into flames and skidded at high speed while billowing black smoke, before flipping onto its left side and coming to a halt off the side of the runway.
Fire engines and scores of fire-fighters in silver suits rushed to the gutted aircraft, with orange flames still shooting out of its fuselage, to douse the fire with foam.
Public broadcaster NHK said the pilot was 54 years old and the co-pilot was 49, and that both were US nationals.
"We confirm the deaths of the two pilots," Katsuji Komiyama, an official at Narita Red Cross hospital said.
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Mine 3 shipments were also in this plane and I was while tracking the status since morning and getting the same status at www.fedex.com showing delay beyond our control. later in the day I was stunned to see the video showing how the plane exploded. I suffered huge loss still my condolence are with the families of the pilots whose losses are higher than me. may God help the families to absorp this huge losses.