KUALA LUMPUR – Do the malfunctioning warning lights at Tokyo’s Haneda Airport have something to do with the January 2 collision between Japan Airlines’ (JAL) Airbus and a coast guard plane?
It remains to be seen as investigations into the incident continue.
According to a Notam message issued on December 27, the warning lights at the airport have been down for the foreseeable future.
The light system informs pilots whether a runway is clear, while a Notam (note to airmen) notice has information essential to personnel involved with flight operations.
Other information pertaining to the incident has also emerged since yesterday.
JAL told public broadcaster NHK that its pilots on Flight 516 did not have “visual contact” with the coast guard plane when it entered the runway, leading to the pilots not discussing aborting the landing.
However, there was no clear explanation as to why the pilots failed to spot the coast guard’s DHC-8 plane.
As part of the probe by the Japan Transport Safety Board (JTSB), investigators will be questioning the captains of the two aircraft. The JAL captain was the last to exit the plane, while the coast guard captain was severely injured.
Yesterday, it was reported that an official written transcript of communications between air traffic controllers and the two planes showed that air traffic control gave the passenger jet permission to land on Runway C at 5.43pm on January 2. JAL said its plane was cleared for landing.
However, the transcript does not show clear takeoff approval for the coast guard plane. It was told to “hold short of the runway”.
Holding short of the runway means to wait and stay away from the runway. It also means pilots must stop so no part of the aircraft extends beyond the holding position.
According to a CNN report, audio from LiveATC.net had the JAL cockpit reading back a clearance order for runway 34, saying “cleared to land 34 right”.
During a press conference yesterday, Japan Transport Minister Tetsuo Saito and the investigator said they would have to listen to the audio clip between the pilots and the control tower.
At the same time, JTSB said the flight and voice recorders of the coast guard aircraft have been retrieved, but it is still searching for those of the JAL Airbus.
Five coast guard members died, the captain was severely injured, and all 379 onboard the JAL flight “miraculously” escaped the burning plane.
Immediately after the incident, more than 300 flights were cancelled.
At least another 131 domestic flights were cancelled today, affecting some 28,000 JAL (66 flights) and All Nippon Airways (65) passengers.
Flight schedules may still change, and passengers are advised to stay updated. – January 4, 2024