Investigation Reveals Coastguard Aircraft in Tokyo Airport Crash Was Not Cleared for Takeoff
According to officials, the Coast Guard aircraft that crashed with the passenger airliner at Tokyo's Haneda airport was not authorized for takeoff at the time of the incident.
Authorities have disclosed that the coastguard aircraft involved in a collision with a passenger plane at Tokyo's Haneda airport had not received clearance for takeoff at the time of the crash. The incident occurred as the small jet, en route to Niigata to deliver earthquake aid, collided with a landing Japan Airlines (JAL) Airbus A350.
According to tower transcripts, the JAL passenger flight had been authorized to land, and all 379 occupants successfully evacuated the aircraft, which caught fire after the collision. Tragically, five individuals on the Bombardier Dash-8 Turboprop coastguard plane lost their lives, while the surviving pilot sustained severe injuries.
Authorities are actively investigating the circumstances surrounding the incident, including the sequence of events that led to both planes occupying the same runway. Traffic control instructions in the transcripts indicate that the JAL flight had received landing permission, while the coastguard aircraft was instructed to taxi to a holding point near the runway. Notably, the transcripts do not suggest that the coastguard pilot had been granted clearance for takeoff, as confirmed by an official from Japan's Civil Aviation Bureau.
Contradicting the official statement, the captain of the small aircraft claimed to have entered the runway with permission. Japan Airlines released a statement asserting that its aircraft acknowledged and repeated air traffic control's landing permission before touchdown.
International agencies, including those in France where the Airbus was manufactured and the UK where its Rolls-Royce engines were produced, are collaborating with the Japan Safety Transport Board in the investigation. The board has obtained the voice recorder from the coastguard aircraft to aid in the inquiry.
In parallel, Tokyo police are exploring the possibility of professional negligence contributing to the crash. Aviation analyst Hiroyuki Kobayashi suggested a potential human error, emphasizing that aircraft accidents typically result from multiple issues. The investigation aims to uncover the complexities leading to the tragic incident at Haneda airport.
