Coast Guard aircraft apparently did not have permission to land on the runway

After the collision of two planes with five deaths at Tokyo airport, there are indications of human error. According to a media report, the Coast Guard plane did not have permission to use the runway.

The fatal collision between a Japanese airliner and a Coast Guard plane on the grounds of Tokyo Haneda Airport is believed to be the result of human error.

The Coast Guard plane did not have permission to go onto the runway, Japan’s Kyodo news agency reported, citing the Transport Ministry. This is evident from the communication data between the aircraft and flight control.

The airline and the Department of Transportation declined to comment directly on radio communications between the two planes and air traffic controllers, citing the ongoing investigation.

First contradictory Testify

NHK television had previously reported, citing a source in Japan’s transport ministry, that an air traffic controller had ordered the coast guard plane to wait off the runway.

At the same time, NHK quoted a Coast Guard representative as saying that the surviving pilot of the Coast Guard plane said immediately after the accident that he had permission to take off.

The captain of the passenger plane is said to have had permission to land. The pilot probably did not see the small coast guard plane, Japan Airlines officials said in a press conference late Tuesday evening.

A recording of radio traffic between the tower and the aircraft appears to support Japan Airlines officials’ statement: “Japan 516, continue your approach,” says the recording, which was heard on a website that publishes air traffic radio. Experts emphasize that a combination of various factors usually leads to aircraft accidents.

Investigations are ongoing

The Japanese transport authority has begun investigating the fatal accident, according to the Kyodo news agency. The Japan Transport Safety Board, a government agency responsible for serious accidents involving planes, trains and ships, is examining the burned-out wreckage. So far, the Coast Guard aircraft’s flight recorder and voice recorder have been recovered.

Aircraft probably remained stable for a long time despite the fire

The aircraft manufacturer Airbus also commented. In a statement, the company expressed its condolences for all those affected. The passenger plane was two years old. An Airbus team is traveling from France and Great Britain. The A350 aircraft and engines were built there.

All 379 people on board the passenger plane were rescued via emergency slides. The evacuation began almost immediately after the plane came to a standstill and was made easier because all passengers – as requested – left their luggage on board.

The accident is the first major accident involving an Airbus A350. The aircraft was mostly made of modern materials such as carbon fiber reinforced plastic. According to experts, the plane was stable for a long time despite the fire, so that the people on board had time to save themselves.

Numerous flights canceled

The Japan Airlines passenger plane collided with a coast guard plane shortly after landing yesterday. Both planes caught fire. Any help came too late for five people on board the Coast Guard plane. The pilot was able to escape with serious injuries and the flames on the JAL plane were brought under control more than eight hours after the collision.

JAL airline canceled more than 40 domestic flights. Changes and refunds are free of charge, the airline announced on the online platform X, formerly Twitter. All Nippon Airways (ANA) also canceled dozens of flights.

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida countered fears that the accident could hinder the rapid delivery of relief supplies to the earthquake region in the west of the country. The crashed coast guard plane wanted to bring relief supplies for the survivors of the series of earthquakes to the severely affected Noto Peninsula.

With information from Jennifer Johnston, ARD Studio Singapore