Two official investigations have been launched by Japanese officials to find out why an Airbus A350-900 airliner carrying 367 passengers stuck a Coast Guard aircraft shortly after touching down at Haneda airport near Tokyo on Jan. 2. The airliner burst into flames before it came to a stop, but all of the passengers and crew aboard were able to use inflatable chutes to escape the burning plane. Five of the six crew aboard the Coast Guard Dash 8 lost their lives in the accident, however, and the Dash 8’s captain suffered serious injuries.
Air traffic control
Investigations into the deadly aviation accident have been launched by law enforcement and transport safety officials. Safety officials will likely focus on the conversations the crews of both planes had with air traffic controllers. The Coast Guard Dash 8 did not have clearance to take off according to official logs, but its captain claims that he was given permission to depart Haneda airport.
Professional negligence
The police are investigating possible professional negligence according to media reports. Investigators will be tasked with identifying the mistakes that led to two aircraft being on a busy runway at the same time. Tower transcripts show that that the Airbus was given clearance to land, but there is no take-off authorization for the Dash 8. Instead, the records show that the Dash 8 was ordered to taxi to a point near the runway.
Human error
This accident does not appear to have been caused by a mechanical defect or failure. This suggests that investigators will conclude that some sort of human error is to blame. This accident happened because a plane was in the wrong place, and investigators will study the sequence of events to determine where mistakes were made. This accident also reveals that modern commercial aircraft are made with materials that provide a great deal of fire protection.