Investigators focused on the communication between air traffic control and two aircraft at Tokyo Haneda Airport on Wednesday, one day after a large passenger plane collided with a small aircraft belonging to the Japanese Coast Guard on the runway, resulting in a fire and the death of five people.
Incident Details
The incident occurred Tuesday evening when Japan Airlines Flight 516 landed on one of Haneda’s four runways while a Coast Guard Bombardier Dash 8 was also moving for takeoff.
An orange fireball erupted from the two aircraft as the Japan Airlines plane continued its landing on the runway, engulfed in flames and emitting gray smoke. Within 20 minutes, all passengers and crew members, totaling 379 people, slid down emergency slides and escaped. The pilot of the Coast Guard plane, which exploded, was injured, but five crew members were killed.
Incident Investigations
The Ministry of Transportation released the transcript of communication between air traffic control and the two aircraft about 4 minutes and 27 seconds before the incident. There was no clear approval for the Coast Guard aircraft to take off. According to the transcript, Tokyo air traffic control granted Japan Airlines permission to land on Runway C, indicating the presence of a departing aircraft, and the pilot confirmed the procedure.
The Coast Guard plane reported that it was taxiing on the same runway, and air traffic control instructed it to proceed to the holding line in front of the runway. The controller noted that the Coast Guard had priority for departure, and the pilot stated that it was moving to the holding line.
Their conversation ended there. After two minutes, there was a three-second pause, apparently indicating the time of the collision.
Future Investigations
Police have launched a separate investigation into possible professional negligence. Tokyo police stated that investigators examined the wreckage on the runway and conducted interviews.
The investigators’ plan is to interview the pilots, officials, and air traffic controllers to determine how the two aircraft ended up on the runway at the same time, according to the Japanese Transport Safety Board.
Additional Details
The Japan Airlines plane had taken off from New Chitose Airport near the northern city of Sapporo, while the Coast Guard Bombardier was preparing to depart for Niigata to deliver aid to central areas affected by a strong earthquake on Monday that resulted in over 60 fatalities.
On Wednesday, six experts from the Japanese Transport Safety Board examined the remnants of the two aircraft, stating that television footage showed the heavily damaged wings of the A350 among the burned and broken fuselage parts. The smaller Coast Guard plane resembled a mound of debris.
The investigations are planning to interview the pilots, officials, and air traffic controllers to determine how the two aircraft ended up on the runway at the same time, according to the Japanese Transport Safety Board.
Preliminary Findings
There was a different understanding between the two sides regarding their permissions to use the runway. Tadayuki Tsutsumi, the executive director of Japan Airlines, stated at a late Tuesday press conference that the A350 was making a “normal approach and landing” on the runway. Noriyuki Oki, an official from Japan Airlines, stated that the flight had received permission to land.
Air traffic control officials granted Japan Airlines permission to land while instructing the Coast Guard pilot to hold before entering the runway, according to the transcript released by the Ministry of Transportation. However, according to NHK television report, the Coast Guard pilot stated that he received clearance to take off. The Coast Guard stated that officials were verifying this claim.
Final Outcome
The fire focused on the primary test condition for composite carbon fiber structures – used in the A350 and Boeing 787 – rather than traditional aluminum skins.
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The security consultant John Cox said: “This is the most catastrophic crash of a composite aircraft that I can think of. On the other hand, protecting these structures (the passengers) from a truly horrific fire – it didn’t burn for some time and everyone exited.”
Side Effects
The other three runways at Haneda were reopened on Tuesday evening, but about 140 flights were canceled on Wednesday alone due to the closure of the runway, according to transportation officials. The airport was busy on Wednesday as many travelers were finishing their New Year trips, including those who survived the fire and spent the night at the airport or in nearby hotels, trying to change their flights.
Haneda is considered the most vital of the major airports in the Japanese capital, boasting a large number of international flights and preferred by business travelers due to its proximity to the city’s central areas.
Conclusion
The incident on Tuesday was the first severe damage incident involving the Airbus A350, one of the newest large passenger aircraft in the industry, which entered commercial service in 2015. Airbus stated in a statement that it is sending experts to assist in the investigation of the incident by Japanese and French authorities, and that the aircraft was delivered to Japan Airlines in late 2021.
Japan Airlines operates 16 A350-900 aircraft according to its website. The A350, a twin-engine and twin-aisle aircraft, is used by several long-haul international airlines. According to Airbus, more than 570 aircraft of this type are in operation.
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