BA 38 went down in Heathrow coming from China. No one was killed and the plane did not burst into fire. However, people left by slides - some were injured.

An AF 340 from France went town in Toronto some time ago. No one was killed, either, but the plane did burst into fire and burned into a wreck.

Some AF passengers were critizised for taking hand luggage along on evacuation. Passengers are supposed not to do so when leaving by slide (as opposed to leaving by airstairs, like the SQ A380 stuck in mud).

What is the immigration status of passengers who arrive from aboard with no visas or identity documents because those burned with hand luggage in evacuated wreck?

What is the immigration status of passengers whose documents exist, but are in the evacuated and empty plane wreck?

In London .......

Commonsense, followed up if necessary (which will only be for a few) by immigration staff, who will come round and see you later, and probably chat about the experience as well. Meanwhile BA will go through the cabin with a fine tooth comb for possessions which will all be tagged and returned.

Another well known country ......

Lots of people in uniform shouting contradictory instructions at you. Dogs used to keep you in place. Aggressive questioning when you next get to immigration. Denial by staff that anyone could have managed to get into the country without the right stamps. SSSS for life.

Actually in the case of AF 340 the embassies had to send staff to the airport to issue temporary documentations to people that lost their documents.

Wirelessly posted (BlackBerry8100/4.2.0 Profile/MIDP-2.0 Configuration/CLDC-1.1 VendorID/100)

Can you imagine the experience if this happened in the USA? To this hour the passengers would still be detained.

And being questioned to find out who committed the Terrorist Act

I'd say you are a bit tough to US security. They went a long way to become as friendly as possible. I still get fingerprinted etc. but they definitely have learned to do it in the least intimidating way possible. Same with luggage. They open plenty, but the suspicious items do not disappear anymore.

Re: lack of proper docs and emergency landing: I experienced the Thai way during the UA "bird hit plane" Bangkok case. My one entry visa was naturally expired, but the Thai authorities let me in with no fuss. The people with no passports I believe were put in a lounge and then directly brought to the hotel by bus (no emabssy mess, but the passports were not permanently lost). I guess the airline and the Thai authorities sorted something out.

Well, if passports burn, it's embassy job, naturally. Then one can only hope there's embassy in the crash country. Depending on the time available and the country's regulations, one can be issued either with temp. passport, or with "passavant" (pass avant passport?) to reach a final destination.

Money can be big issue as well.

And then disappeared.....

Keep your documents and money on you in pockets or a bum bag and it is a non issue.

Not that I'm overly concerned about being in a plane crash, my passport wallet always remains in my pocket while on the plane. It includes my passport, a backup credit card, and some cash. As long as my back pocket does not burn up I should be able to get anywhere.

The airline knows who is onboard and their passport number is recorded on check-in. So they can hand that printout and data to Immigration.

They can then match people with their passport numbers (and visas where appropriate) on the system etc and possibly process them that way.

It's not like people purposely hop on a plane hoping it will crash, so I see this situation as not too different from your baggage being allowed to fly on a separate flight to you if it gets lost rather than the usual rule of positive baggage matching.

However, checked luggage reclaim is normally after immigration. People without visas on connecting flights cannot get at checked luggage. So, it is natural that identity documents should be carried into the cabin.

Some people are alleged to have maliciously destroyed their own identity documents while on a plane. Supposedly with the aim to hinder being sent back. Not sure where it is supposed to work... Certainly, pickpockets might operate aboard a plane, and steal valuables, cash, cards or identity documents whether from hand luggage or from pockets... but is it practical to get away from the scene? If a passenger who probably must have presented ID at check in arrives and claims to have had the ID stolen while in flight, would the passenger be believed and all other passengers thoroughly searched? Or would the passenger be disbelieved and thought to have destroyed his or her own ID deliberately?

Well, it looks like things didn't go THAT smoothly for passengers at LHR:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7196128.stm

Admittedly it's BA rather than the Immigration Service that's being criticised... but it looks like things were not handled as well as they could have been.

I have a funny image in my head of someone running out of a plane with their bum on fire...I know it is not funny...ok..yes it is!

I do the same... I keep my wallet, passport, a phone and the keys in my pockets.

Not just in case of an emergency, but if your hand bags decide to disappear
from the over head bins.. I'm an not in that big of a trouble.

Your bum is the part that rubs against the slide.