- A report concludes that human error caused the deadly collision at Tokyo’s Haneda Airport in January.
- The pilot of the Japan Coast Guard plane misinterpreted air traffic control instructions.
- Limited visibility and air traffic control oversight were additional factors in the collision.
A report released Wednesday from the Japan Transport Safety Board concluded that human error was the primary cause of a deadly collision at Tokyo’s Haneda Airport.
The incident occurred on January 2, 2024, when a Japan Airlines (JAL) passenger plane arriving from New Chitose Airport in Sapporo barreled into a Japan Coast Guard plane waiting on the runway.
According to the report, the Coast Guard pilot mistakenly believed he had clearance to enter the runway. The air traffic controller told the coast guard plane that it was “No. 1,” meaning it was first in line to take off and meant to stop and wait at a holding point. The pilot misinterpreted the instruction, believing it to be permission to enter the runway for takeoff.
In the final moments before the collision, the Coast Guard pilot ordered his co-pilot to go through a checklist that is typically performed once final takeoff clearance has been granted. The pilot, who survived, told investigators he thought he heard “cleared for takeoff” from the control tower.
The report noted that the pilot said he was in a hurry, which could have contributed to the misinterpretation. The Coast Guard plane was traveling to the city of Niigata to deliver emergency supplies after recent earthquakes on Japan’s west coast, and the pilot said he was worried about his crew getting home late from the mission.
The report said that there were other contributing factors to the collision: Air traffic control failed to realize that the Coast Guard plane had entered the runway, despite the runway occupancy alert, and the JAL plane didn’t see the other aircraft as it was descending due to limited visibility. The accident occurred around 5:47 p.m., after sunset.
Five of the six people aboard the Coast Guard aircraft died. The pilot survived but was seriously injured.
All 379 passengers and crew on the passenger plane escaped just before the jet erupted into flames.
