One week after a fiery and fatal collision involving a Japan Airlines (JAL) Airbus A350-900 and a Coast Guard aircraft at Tokyo’s Haneda Airport (HND), runway 16L/34R has reopened. The runway, where the crash occurred, is one of four at the busy international airport.
The reopening comes as the bodies of the victims were reportedly returned to their families. The Japan Transport Safety Board is continuing with its investigation while local police are looking into the possibility of negligence.
Flights return to the coastal runway
According to the Associated Press (AP), flights resumed on the seaside runway on Monday, and its reopening indicates that the airport is nearing a return to normal operations. HND reopened the other three runways on the night of the crash, but 16L/34R had to remain closed due to the investigation, debris cleanup, and repairs.
The January 2nd incident reportedly resulted in the cancelation of more than 1,200 flights, impacting over 200,000 passengers amid New Year travel. Operations at HND have since been somewhat normal as all scheduled flights have resumed, except for 22 flights operated by JAL that have been canceled through Tuesday. The flight complications reportedly contributed to an influx of passengers at the airport on Monday.
Crews began to pick through the damage on Friday while investigators attempted to recover the cockpit voice recorder. Excavators cut off the remaining wing of the A350 and lifted debris from the inside of the charred cabin, according to Reuters. The wreckage was reportedly taken to a hangar for further inspection.
Determining the cause of the incident
All 379 people onboard the widebody jet managed to escape via evacuation slides, but five out of the six people aboard the De Havilland Dash 8 Coast Guard plane it collided with died. While the cause of the crash is believed to have been human error, official determination is pending an investigation. It is unclear what caused the Coast Guard crew to be under the impression that they were cleared for takeoff, as air traffic control (ATC) transcripts showed no explicit confirmation of a clearance.
According to the AP, a team from the Japan Transportation Safety Board interviewed ATC officials on Monday as part of their ongoing investigation. The team has also questioned the JAL crew members and retrieved flight data and voice recorders from both aircraft – critical components to the official determination of what led to the fatal collision.
Possible neglect among the crew?
In addition to the investigation, Tokyo police are examining possible negligence that could have contributed to the incident, according to Reuters. The captain of the Dash 8 was the only survivor on the plane and is currently being scrutinized after ATC transcripts indicate the pilot was ordered to taxi into a holding area near the runway before the crash happened.
The Coast Guard, however, has reportedly maintained that the captain had permission to enter the runway. The pilot is suffering from severe burns from the collision, according to Reuters. Boosting safety measures, HND reportedly added a new ATC position over the weekend that specifically monitors the runway.
Colleagues of the lost Coast Guard crew mourned their deaths on Monday at the Haneda base. The victims’ bodies were returned to their families after police conducted autopsies as part of their separate probe into potential negligence.
Source: simpleflying.com