Japanese investigators have attributed the January 2, 2024 collision between a Japan Airlines Airbus A350 and a Japan Coast Guard Bombardier Dash 8 at Tokyo's Haneda International Airport to human error. The preliminary report from the Japan Transport Safety Board, released on December 25, indicates that confusion among flight crews was the primary cause of the accident.
The report highlights that the crew of the Japan Coast Guard aircraft mistakenly believed they had clearance to enter the runway. This misjudgment led to their aircraft colliding with a Japan Airlines widebody. Additionally, air traffic controllers failed to notice both the entry of the Dash 8 onto the runway and an alert indicating potential collision.
Voice recorder data revealed that discussions among the Dash 8 crew were focused on their mission related to a recent earthquake in Noto Peninsula. The inability of Japan Airlines' crew to spot the Dash 8 due to limited visibility contributed further to this accident.