Plane collision in Tokyo: Japan is investigating the cause of the accident

After the plane crash at an airport in Tokyo, the examination of the wreckage begins today. A team from Airbus has also been announced. The accident is considered the first major accident involving an A350 aircraft.

A day after a Japanese passenger plane collided with a Coast Guard plane at Tokyo’s Haneda Airport, Japanese transport authorities have begun investigating the fatal accident. The Japan Transport Safety Board, a government agency responsible for serious accidents involving planes, trains and ships, is examining the burned-out wreckage, the Japanese news agency Kyodo reported.

The exact cause of the accident remains unclear. So far, the Coast Guard aircraft’s flight recorder and voice recorder have been recovered.

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 in the evening. Experts emphasize that such accidents are usually caused by a combination of various factors.

Aircraft probably remained stable for a long time despite the fire

The aircraft manufacturer Airbus expressed its sympathy for all those affected in a statement. 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 X. 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