
© Reuters. Officials examine a burnt Japan Coast Guard plane after a collision with Japan Airlines’ (JAL) Airbus A350 aircraft at Haneda International Airport in Tokyo, Japan January 3, 2024. REUTERS/Issei Kato
By Kaori Kaneko and Lisa Barrington
TOKYO (Reuters) – Police will examine whether or not a crash between an airliner and a smaller aircraft at a Tokyo airport might contain skilled negligence, media shops reported on Wednesday, as authorities started inspecting the charred wreckage and runway for clues.
All 379 folks miraculously escaped the Japan Airlines (JAL) Airbus A350 which erupted into flames after colliding with a De Havilland Dash-8 Coast Guard turboprop shortly after touchdown at Haneda on Tuesday night.
Five of the six Coast Guard crew, responding to a significant earthquake within the nation’s west, died.
Once a recurring security drawback, aviation consultants say the variety of such runway collisions or incursions have change into far much less frequent with fashionable floor monitoring know-how and procedures.
The crash got here simply weeks after the worldwide airline business heard recent warnings about runway security.
Japan Airlines mentioned in an announcement on Tuesday the plane recognised and repeated the touchdown permission from air visitors management earlier than approaching and touching down.
According to air visitors management recordings out there at liveATC.web, the JAL aircraft was cleared to land at 1745 native time, minutes earlier than authorities say the collision occurred.
The Coast Guard has declined to touch upon the precise circumstances surrounding the crash, together with why the aircraft was on the runway and whether or not it was stationary or transferring when catastrophe struck.
The aircraft, considered one of six Coast Guard plane primarily based on the airport, had been concerned in a mission to ship assist to areas hit by a lethal earthquake on Monday.
TWO INVESTIGATIONS
Japanese authorities say the reason for the crash stays unclear.
Metropolitan Police Department will conduct an examine into whether or not attainable skilled negligence led to deaths and accidents, information shops together with Kyodo information company, Jiji and Nippon TV reported, citing police sources.
A police spokesperson mentioned a particular investigation unit had arrange on the airport and was investigating the runway and planning to interview folks concerned, however declined to touch upon whether or not they have been wanting into attainable skilled negligence.
As properly because the police probe, the Japan Safety Transport Board (JTSB) can also be investigating the crash, with participation from businesses in France, the place the Airbus airplane was constructed, and Britain the place its two Rolls-Royce (OTC:) engines have been manufactured, folks aware of the matter mentioned.
Airbus mentioned it was additionally sending technical advisers to help within the investigation.
JTSB has recovered flight and voice recorders from the coast guard plane, Kyodo information company reported, citing the company.
While all passengers and crew have been evacuated round 20 minutes after the crash, the plane was utterly engulfed in flames and burned for greater than six hours, the airline mentioned.
Authorities have been set to start work to take away the charred stays of the JAL plane within the afternoon, Kyodo reported, whereas TV footage confirmed police and hearth division personnel inspecting the positioning of the accident on Wednesday.