Key takeaways:
- 5 people were killed in a collision between a passenger plane and a Japanese coast guard aircraft at Tokyo’s Haneda Airport
- The Japan Transport Safety Board and police have launched separate investigations into the incident
- The accident has caused disruption to air traffic at Haneda Airport, with some flights being cancelled or delayed
Five people were killed in a tragic accident at Tokyo’s Haneda Airport on Tuesday evening when a large passenger plane and a Japanese coast guard aircraft collided on the runway and burst into flames. The Japan Transport Safety Board and police have launched separate investigations into the incident.
The Japan Airlines flight 516 plane had just landed on one of Haneda’s four runways when the smaller coast guard aircraft — a Bombardier Dash-8 — entered, preparing to take off. An orange fireball erupted from both aircraft as the JAL plane continued down the runway covered in flames while spewing gray smoke.
The pilot of the coast guard plane, which was carrying four crew members, was among the five people killed in the accident. Investigators have recovered the voice recorders and flight recorders for the coast guard plane and are still looking for the black box from the other plane.
Police have begun a separate inquiry into possible professional negligence, while the Japan Transport Safety Board is focusing on communication between air traffic control and the two aircraft. The cause of the accident is still unknown, and the investigations are ongoing.
The accident has caused disruption to air traffic at Haneda Airport, with some flights being cancelled or delayed. The airport has urged travelers to check the status of their flights before heading to the airport.
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