Pilots of scheduled flight in Tokyo did not see fire
The accident shakes Japan: five people die in a collision between two planes in Tokyo. It is now known that the pilots of the passenger plane had no "visual contact" with the coastguard plane. They also did not notice the fire at first.
According to the airline, the pilots of a Japan Airlines (JAL) passenger plane that crashed at Tokyo airport did not have "visual contact" with the Coast Guard plane that collided with it. Moreover, the three pilots could not have seen the fire that broke out as a result of the collision from the cockpit, said a JAL spokesman. They had only been informed by the cabin crew.
The Japan Airlines (JAL) airliner collided with the Coast Guard plane after landing on Tuesday and burned out. All 379 occupants of the passenger plane were able to escape via emergency slides. However, five crew members on board the Coast Guard plane were killed and only the pilot survived with serious injuries.
A JAL spokesman said that the pilots had felt an impact a few seconds after landing. According to a report by broadcaster NHK, the senior flight attendant reported to the cockpit that the aircraft was on fire and asked for permission for the cabin crew to open the emergency exits. As can be seen on recordings, the cabin was already filled with smoke at this point.
On Thursday, investigators from Japan, France, Great Britain and Canada continued their investigations into the background to the accident. The completely burnt-out wreckage of the two planes could still be seen on one of the four runways at Haneda on Thursday.
Flight recorder should provide information
The flight recorder and voice recorder of the Coast Guard plane that burned out on the tarmac after the collision have been recovered, according to the aviation safety authority, while the voice recorder of the airliner is still being searched for.
According to Japanese media, transcripts of radio communications with the tower released by the Ministry of Transport on Wednesday showed that the Japan Airlines (JAL) passenger plane was cleared to land, while the Coast Guard plane received instructions to move to a spot next to the runway.
Citing a source in the Ministry of Transport, NHK television had already reported that an air traffic controller had instructed the Coast Guard plane to wait off the runway. At the same time, NHK quoted a representative of the Coast Guard as saying that the surviving pilot of the plane had given assurances immediately after the accident that he had permission to take off.
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Source: www.ntv.de
