Japanese investigators believe that the collision between a Japan Airlines Airbus A350 and a Japan Coast Guard Bombardier Dash 8 at, that took place on January 2, 2024, was primarily the result of human error. This news comes a day after the Japanese investigators released their preliminary report on the accident.
Primary cause: crew confusion
While the accident is still under investigation, the Japan Transport Safety Board released a preliminary report on December 25, 2024, revealing that flight crew confusion was the primary cause of the accident. The report said that the Japan Coast Guard crew mistakenly assumed they had clearance to enter the runway, leading to a collision with a Japan Airlines widebody at Tokyo’s Haneda International Airport (HND).
The report also stated that another reason for the collision was the Tokyo air traffic controller’s failure to recognize that the Japanese Coast Guard Dash 8 turboprop had entered the runway. The controllers also failed to notice that the runway occupancy alert, which indicated a potential collision, had been sounding for about a minute.
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Voice recorder data from the January 2 accident revealed that the Dash 8 crew’s onboard discussions were focused solely on their mission to assist those affected by the magnitude-7.6 earthquake that struck the Noto Peninsula and surrounding areas the previous day.
Subsequently, Japan Airlines
‘ inability to spot the Dash 8 turboprop on the runway contributed to a series of factors leading to the accident. If the A350 flight crew had been able to spot the Dash 8 on the runway, they would have performed a go-around. However, visibility was limited that day.
It is worth noting that this is not the final report, and the contents of the preliminary report may change in the future as new information becomes available.
The accident recap
On January 2, 2024, a Bombardier DHC-8-315, registered as JA722A, belonging to the Japan Coast Guard, which had stopped on runway 34R, collided with the Japan Airlines Airbus A350-900 widebody, registered as JA13XJ, which had landed on runway 34R.
There were six people onboard the Dash 8, including the captain and five crew members. The plane caught fire after colliding with the Airbus A350. The captain of the Japan Coast Guard plane was seriously injured, while the other five crew members were killed. The Dash 8 was destroyed in the collision and subsequent fire.
Photo: viper-zero | Shutterstock
Meanwhile, the Japan Airlines Airbus A350 had 379 people onboard, including the captain, 11 crew members, and 367 passengers. After colliding with the Dash 8 turboprop, the A350 caught fire underneath the fuselage but continued to taxi.
It then left the runway and stopped in a grassy area near the end of runway 34R. Once the aircraft stopped, all passengers and crew evacuated. One passenger suffered serious injuries, four had minor injuries, and 12 sought medical attention due to health issues. The relatively new Airbus A350 was destroyed in the collision and fire.
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Despite the casualties and destroyed aircraft, none of Japan Airlines’ passengers died. The world witnessed what could be described as a nearly perfect evacuation, with all 367 passengers and 12 crew members safely evacuated.
After the accident, the interphone system stopped working, making communication difficult. The cabin crew had to shout or use megaphones to communicate, instructing passengers to stay low and cover their noses to avoid smoke. At the same time, they checked the fire outside their doors to see if it was safe to use and shared this information with their colleagues. About six minutes after landing, the emergency exits were opened, and the cabin crew instructed passengers to move forward and evacuate the aircraft.
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A number of factors ensured the evacuation was a success.