Human Error Identified as Cause of Fatal Tokyo Airport Collision

A safety board report reveals miscommunication and oversight led to the January crash that killed five and destroyed a passenger jet.

The Japan Transport Safety Board determined that human error was the primary cause of the January 2 collision at Tokyo's Haneda Airport.
A Japan Coast Guard plane mistakenly entered the runway, believing it had clearance, where it was struck by a descending Japan Airlines passenger jet.
The Coast Guard pilot misinterpreted air traffic control instructions, exacerbated by time pressure and concerns over completing an earthquake relief mission.
Air traffic controllers failed to notice the Coast Guard plane's unauthorized runway entry, and poor visibility hindered the JAL plane's ability to spot the other aircraft.
The crash resulted in the deaths of five out of six people aboard the Coast Guard plane, while all 379 passengers and crew on the JAL flight survived before the aircraft caught fire.