PRELIMINARY reports from a fireball plane crash which left five dead have been revealed.
Shocking footage showed a Japan Airlines plane erupt in flames after colliding with a coastguard aircraft at Tokyo’s Haneda Airport on Tuesday.
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And now, transcripts between the coastguard jet and Air Traffic control (ATC) – understood to be from the plane’s black box – have heaped more mystery on the blast.
Transport safety officials are analysing communication between ATC officers and the two aircraft.
Early reports suggest the coastguard aircraft pilot was told to steer clear of the runway before the collision occurred as the Airbus A350 as it tried to land.
All 367 passengers and 12 crew members on board the flight managed to evacuate from the wreckage at Tokyo’s Haneda Airport, Japan Airlines has said.
But five passengers onboard the coastguard’s De Havilland Dash-8 aircraft tragically died in the horror, with the captain said to be in a critical condition.
On analysis of the early report, former Australian air traffic controller Michelle Robson told 9News: “The coast guard aircraft wasn’t cleared to enter the runway before the fateful crash occurred.
“Obviously this is not an official transcript, but it appears it was told to hold short of the runway at the entry point.
“Normally a controller would be able to see both out of the tower, either with his eyes or using binoculars but it was at night time.
“So they do have additional safeguards which is the surface movement radar, which would have shown the aircraft moving.”
According to the expert, the coastguard aircraft was not given a green light to enter the runway – the same patch where JAL Airbus A350 was supposed to land.
The expert also speculated the aircraft identifiers – that would have revealed the existence of the coast guard aircraft on the runway – either were either off or the aircraft was not fully equipped with the required technology.
While she says it is hard to fully conclude what went wrong until the full report is released, there should be a plethora of safeguards in place among other safety measures in this day and age that could have prevented the crash.
De Havilland Dash-8 was set help with rescue efforts following an earthquake in central Japan on New Year’s Day, before colliding with the JAL carrier.
Television pictures caught the shocking moment as passengers and airport workers watched on in horror.
Horror footage from inside the burning passenger jet shows the moment screaming passengers battle through smoke to escape the flaming hell.
People were seen covering their faces with their hands or masks, as others were heard yelling in the background.
Another clip shows the moment the plane landed on the runway as it skidded across the tarmac with billowing smoke coming from the wing.
Images from broadcaster NHK showed flames apparently coming out of the plane’s windows and from beneath the aircraft.
The plane split into two halves as the fire burst through the dishevelled structure and tore it down.
Video later showed fire crews working to put out the blaze with streams of water and aiding the evacuation operation.
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