Did human error cause deadly Tokyo plane crash? Japan investigates
- Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department are reportedly investigating whether professional negligence led to Tuesday’s crash in which five people died
- A former Japan Airlines pilot who now works as an aviation analyst said there was ‘a strong possibility’ that human error was involved
All 379 people miraculously escaped the Japan Airlines (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.
Five of the six Coast Guard crew, responding to a major earthquake that struck the country’s west coast, died.
Once a recurring safety problem, aviation experts say the number of such runway collisions or incursions have become far less frequent with modern ground tracking technology and procedures.
Japanese authorities say the cause of the crash remains unclear.
Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department are investigating whether possible professional negligence led to deaths and injuries, several news outlets including Kyodo news agency and Nikkei Asia reported.
Police said a special unit had been set up at the airport to investigate the runway and was planning to interview people involved, but declined to comment on whether they were looking into possible professional negligence.
