Japanese authorities have launched an investigation into a fatal collision between two aircraft at Tokyo’s Haneda Airport. The incident involved a Japan Airlines (JAL) Airbus A350 and a turboprop aircraft operated by the coastguard. The collision resulted in the A350 being engulfed in flames, though all 379 passengers and crew were evacuated safely. Tragically, of the six coastguard members aboard the smaller aircraft, which was en route to assist in earthquake rescue operations, only one survived.
Tokyo’s Metropolitan Police Department is probing the possibility of professional negligence as the cause of the deaths and injuries. This investigation, as reported by various news outlets like Kyodo News Agency, Nikkei Asia, and Nippon TV, will encompass examining the runway and interviewing those involved.
A police spokesperson disclosed that a special investigation unit has been established at the airport for this purpose. However, details regarding the focus on potential professional negligence were not provided.
Japan Airlines, in its statement, affirmed that the Airbus had received and acknowledged landing clearance from air traffic control. LiveATC.net recordings indicate the JAL plane was cleared to land shortly before the reported time of the collision. The exact reason for the coastguard plane’s presence on the runway remains uncertain, although NHK reported that it had been instructed to hold short of the runway.
In parallel to the police investigation, the Japan Safety Transport Board (JTSB) is conducting its own independent inquiry. The JTSB’s investigation is notable for its international collaboration, involving French and British authorities, given the Airbus’s construction in France and the British manufacture of its Rolls-Royce engines.
Airbus is contributing technical advisors to assist with the investigation. The JTSB has successfully recovered flight and voice recorders from the coastguard aircraft, which will be crucial in determining the exact sequence of events leading to the tragic accident.
This incident marks a significant aviation event in Japan, recalling the 1985 JAL jumbo jet crash in Gunma, which remains one of the deadliest plane crashes in history.
