Japanese transport officials and police begin on-site probe after fatal crash on Tokyo runway
ABC News
Transport officials and police have begun separate investigations at Tokyo’s Haneda Airport, a day after a large passenger plane and a Japanese coast guard aircraft collided on the runway and burst into flames, killing five people
TOKYO -- Transport officials and police began separate investigations at Tokyo’s Haneda Airport on Wednesday, a day after a large passenger plane and a Japanese coast guard aircraft collided on the runway and burst into flames, killing five people.
The accident occurred Tuesday evening when the Japan Airlines flight JAL-516 plane landed on one of Haneda's four runways after the coast guard aircraft — a Bombardier Dash-8 — had also entered, preparing to take off. Both sides said they received a go-ahead from aviation officials.
An orange fireball erupted from the aircraft, and the JAL plane continued down the runway covered in flames while spewing gray smoke. Within 20 minutes, all 379 passengers and crew members slid down emergency chutes and survived. The pilot of the coast guard plane, which exploded, evacuated with injuries but five crew members aboard the coast guard plane were killed.
Transport safety officials were focusing on communication between air traffic control officials and the two aircraft to determine what led to the collision.
Police began a separate probe into possible professional negligence. On Wednesday, Tokyo police said that investigators examined the debris on the runway and were to interview the involved parties.
