Investigators on Wednesday began inspecting the wreckage of a crash between two planes at Tokyo Haneda airport, as Japanese media reported police were looking into possible professional negligence behind the catastrophic collision.
The probe opened as Japan Airlines said its passenger jet carrying 379 people which collided with a coastguard plane as it touched down on a runway at the international airport had been given permission to land.
All passengers and crew miraculously escaped the Japan Airlines (JAL) Airbus A350 which erupted into flames after colliding with a De Havilland coastguard turboprop shortly after landing on Tuesday evening.
Five of the six coastguard crew on board the smaller aircraft died. Japanese public broadcaster NHK reported that air traffic control had ordered
the aircraft, that was due to take off to help in the earthquake relief effort, to “hold short” and not enter the runway moments before the catastrophic collision.
Japanese authorities say the cause of the crash remained unclear.
Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department are investigating whether possible professional negligence led to the deaths and injuries, several news outlets including Kyodo news agency and Nikkei Asia reported today.
A police spokesperson said a special unit had set up at the airport and was investigating the runway and planning to interview people involved, but declined to comment on whether they were looking into possible professional negligence.
“There’s a strong possibility there was a human error,” said Hiroyuki Kobayashi, a former JAL pilot and aviation analyst. “Only one plane is generally allowed to enter the runway but even though landing clearance had been given, the Japan coastguard aircraft was on the runway.”
The JAL plane was told to continue its approach to the runway at 5.43pm local time and was given clearance to land at 5.45pm, two minutes before authorities say the collision occurred on the same runway, according to air traffic control recordings available at liveATC.net. “Clear to land 34R Japan Airlines 516,” a controller can be heard saying in a recording.
Japan Airlines said in a statement the aircraft recognised and repeated the landing permission from air traffic control before approaching and touching down.
The coastguard has declined to comment.
