Plane accident in Tokyo: Pilots of scheduled flight had no "visual contact"
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 Haneda's four runways on Thursday.
The flight recorder and voice recorder of the Coast Guard plane that burned out on the tarmac after the collision were recovered, according to the aviation safety authority, while the voice recorder of the airliner was still being searched for on Thursday.
Transcripts of radio communications with the tower released by the Ministry of Transport on Wednesday showed, according to Japanese media, 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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- The accident happened on a line flight from Japan to Tokyo, operated by Japan Airlines (JAL).
- The Ministry of Transportation in Japan released transcripts of radio communications indicating clearance for the JAL passenger plane's landing, but instructions for the Coast Guard plane to wait off the runway.
- The accident involved a JAL airliner and a Coast Guard plane, resulting in the burned-out wreckage being visible on one of Haneda's runways.
- The pilots of the JAL passenger plane reported an impact shortly after landing, while the senior flight attendant reported an aircraft fire and requested emergency exit permissions due to smoke in the cabin.
- Investigators from Japan, France, Great Britain, and Canada are working to determine the causes of the accident, using recovered recorders and ongoing searches for the airliner's voice recorder.
- The Ministry of Transportation sources confirmed that an air traffic controller instructed the Coast Guard plane to wait off the runway, while the surviving pilot claimed to have permission to take off right after the accident.
- AFP reported that no passengers on the JAL flight were injured, but five crew members from the Coast Guard plane and the plane's pilot sustained injuries.
- None of the flight attendants on the JAL flight were mentioned in the media reports concerning the investigation or the aftermath of the accident in Tokyo.
Source: www.stern.de
