The pilots of the Japan Airlines jetliner that collided with a Japan Coast Guard aircraft at Tokyo's Haneda airport told an internal probe that they could not visually confirm the presence of the JCG plane when touching down, according to the company.
The flight control data unveiled Wednesday showed no sign of controllers directing the JAL plane to abort its landing, suggesting both the airline's pilots and the flight controllers were unaware of the JCG aircraft entering the runway that the jetliner was approaching.
The JCG aircraft is believed to have come to a stop on the runway for around 40 seconds just before the accident, sources close to the matter said, with JAL saying one of the three pilots aboard its plane said he saw something right before the accident that caused him concern.
The flight control data showed controllers greenlit the jetliner to land while directing the JCG plane to proceed to a holding point, stopping short of allowing it to enter the runway where the collision happened.
The 39-year-old captain of the JCG aircraft, who survived the accident, said he was cleared to enter the runway, according to the coast guard. The JCG added he said the back of the aircraft suddenly caught fire.
JAL said it is providing all the necessary information to Japan's transport authorities and police, which are investigating the cause of the deadly accident on Tuesday that killed five of the six people aboard the JCG's Bombardier DHC8-300 aircraft.
All 379 passengers and crew aboard the JAL Airbus A350 escaped through emergency slides without life-threatening injuries. The aircraft was engulfed in flames shortly after they all evacuated.
The airline said Thursday that it will book a loss of 15 billion yen ($105 million) on an operating basis due to the plane being destroyed, although the loss will be covered by insurance.
The overall impact of the accident on its earnings for fiscal 2023 is still unknown, JAL said. For the business year, the company is expecting to post a net profit of 80 billion yen on sales of 1.68 trillion yen.
The JCG said its aircraft was heading to Niigata Prefecture to deliver relief supplies for people hit by the magnitude-7.6 earthquake that struck the Noto Peninsula and surrounding areas on the Sea of Japan coast on New Year's Day.
Related coverage:
Canceled domestic flights due to Tokyo airport collision strand many
JAL jet passengers recount 18 minutes of terror while awaiting escape
Coast guard plane not given OK to enter runway in Tokyo collision
