Japanese police investigate possible negligence in Tokyo runway crash

Police have been investigating whether a crash between an airliner and a smaller plane at a Tokyo airport may involve professional negligence, according to media reports. (Photo/AP)

Police have been investigating whether a crash between an airliner and a smaller plane at a Tokyo airport may involve professional negligence, according to media reports.

Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department is investigating whether possible professional negligence led to deaths and injuries, several news outlets including Kyodo news agency and Nikkei Asia reported on Wednesday.

A police spokesperson said a special unit had set up at the airport and was investigating the runway and planning to interview people involved but declined to comment on whether they were looking into possible professional negligence.

"There's a strong possibility there was a human error," said Hiroyuki Kobayashi, a former Japan Airlines (JAL) pilot and aviation analyst.

"Only one plane is generally allowed to enter the runway but even though landing clearance had been given, the Japan Coast Guard aircraft was on the runway."

All 379 people miraculously escaped the JAL Airbus A350 which erupted into flames after colliding with a De Havilland Dash-8 Coast Guard turboprop shortly after landing at Haneda on Tuesday evening.

Once a recurring safety problem, aviation experts say the number of such runway collisions or incursions has become far less frequent with modern ground tracking technology and procedures.

Japanese authorities say the cause of the crash remains unclear.

Given clearance to land

The JAL plane was told to continue its approach to runway 34R at 1743 local time (0843 GMT), and was given clearance to land at 1745, two minutes before authorities say the collision occurred on the same runway, according to air traffic control recordings.

Haneda Airport did not immediately comment on the recordings.

JAL said in a statement on Tuesday the aircraft recognised and repeated the landing permission from air traffic control before approaching and touching down.

The Coast Guard has declined to comment on the circumstances surrounding the crash, including why the plane was on the runway and whether it was stationary or moving when disaster struck.

As well as the police probe, the Japan Safety Transport Board (JTSB) is also investigating the crash, with participation from agencies in France, where the Airbus aeroplane was built, and Britain where its two Rolls-Royce engines were manufactured, people familiar with the matter said.

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Source: TRT