TOKYO (AP) — Japan’s transportation ministry announced Tuesday that it has implemented new emergency measures for the country’s airports following a fatal collision between a Japan Airlines jetliner and a coast guard plane at Tokyo’s Haneda airport last week. The collision, which resulted in the loss of five coast guard crew members, is believed to have been caused by human error.
The new measures include more visible stop line markings on taxiways leading to runways and the use of clearer language in traffic control communication. These changes will be put into place immediately at Haneda and will be rolled out to other airports across Japan in the coming weeks.
The collision, which occurred on January 2, saw the JAL Flight 516 landing right behind the coast guard aircraft preparing to take off on the same runway, causing both planes to burst into flames. All 379 passengers and crew on the JAL Airbus A350-900 airliner were safely evacuated in 18 minutes, but the coast guard’s Bombardier Dash-8 suffered tragic losses.
The investigation into the collision has revealed discrepancies in the air traffic control transcript, with no clear takeoff approval given to the coast guard plane. This has raised questions about what led the coast guard flight crew to believe they had permission to take off.
In response to these findings, the ministry’s new measures aim to ensure pilots understand runway entry terminology, emphasizing the importance of repeating instructions given by traffic control and asking for clarification if uncertain. Haneda’s traffic control tower will also add a new position specifically assigned to monitor unauthorized runway entry.
Haneda airport, the world’s third busiest, experiences a high frequency of flights during peak times, making safety measures and efficient communication crucial to avoiding future incidents.
In conclusion, Japan’s transportation ministry has taken swift action in implementing new emergency measures to improve safety at the country’s airports, following a tragic collision at Tokyo’s Haneda airport. These measures aim to address issues in communication and runway entry terminology to prevent similar incidents from occurring in the future.