TOKYO, JAPAN – Authorities are looking into a plane collision at Haneda airport that resulted in a fiery crash between a Japan Airlines (JAL) Airbus A350 and a De Havilland Dash-8 Coast Guard turboprop on Tuesday evening. All 379 people on board the JAL airliner miraculously escaped, but tragically, five of the six Coast Guard crew responding to a major earthquake in the country’s west coast died in the collision.
Amidst the investigation, aviation experts note that runway collisions or incursions have become far less frequent with the use of modern ground tracking technology and procedures. However, what led to this particular crash at Haneda airport remains unclear.
Japanese authorities, including the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department and the Japan Transport Safety Board (JTSB), are conducting inquiries to determine the cause of the accident, while news outlets have reported the possibility of professional negligence as part of the investigation. Former JAL pilot and aviation analyst, Hiroyuki Kobayashi, suggests that the presence of the Japan Coast Guard aircraft on the runway may indicate human error in air traffic control communication.
Despite the evacuation of all passengers and crew from the burning aircraft, the JAL plane was engulfed in flames for over six hours, leading to the cancellation of dozens of domestic flights from Haneda airport. As the investigation unfolds, it is essential to consider the tragic consequences of the collision and focus on determining the root cause to prevent similar incidents in the future.