Five dead due to multiple instances of human error in Tokyo airport collision, investigation reveals.
At a Glance
- Japan Airlines and Coast Guard planes collided at Tokyo’s Haneda Airport last year
- All 379 people on Japan Airlines flight survived; 5 Coast Guard crew members died
- Coast Guard captain misunderstood clearance, entered runway without permission
- Air traffic controllers missed warning about unauthorized runway entry
- Final report with further analysis and recommendations pending
Human Error Turns Relief Mission into Tragedy
In a stark reminder of how quickly things can go south when protocol isn’t followed to the letter, a year-old aviation disaster at Tokyo’s Haneda Airport has been chalked up to good old-fashioned human error. It’s a tale that would be comical if it weren’t so tragic – a Coast Guard captain playing fast and loose with runway rules, air traffic controllers with their heads in the clouds, and a passenger jet that couldn’t spot a plane right in front of it. Welcome to the circus that is modern air travel, folks.
On January 2 last year, a Japan Airlines flight packed with 379 souls on board collided with a Japanese Coast Guard aircraft. The Coast Guard plane was supposedly rushing off to play hero in earthquake relief efforts. Instead, they ended up needing rescue themselves. The kicker? This whole mess could have been avoided if people had just done their jobs properly.
A series of human errors caused a collision between a Japan Coast Guard aircraft and a Japan Airlines passenger plane at Haneda Airport at the start of 2024, a safety board report said. https://t.co/soMoqfxMBz
— The Japan Times (@japantimes) December 25, 2024
A Comedy of Errors
Let’s break down this comedy of errors, shall we? First up, we have the Coast Guard captain, who apparently thought he was too important to wait for proper clearance. This hotshot decided that his earthquake relief mission gave him carte blanche to waltz onto an active runway. Spoiler alert: it didn’t.
“In the weeks following the crash, the Coast Guard captain told investigators that he believed he had gotten clearance to enter the runway.” – Coast Guard captain
But wait, there’s more! Our intrepid captain didn’t even bother to confirm his imaginary clearance with his co-pilot. I guess when you’re saving the world, little things like “communication” and “safety protocols” just slow you down, right?
Air Traffic Control: Asleep at the Wheel
Now, you’d think someone would have noticed a plane taxiing onto a runway without permission. Enter our next set of bunglers: the air traffic controllers. These folks were apparently so fixated on the Japan Airlines flight that they missed a warning alert about the Coast Guard plane’s unauthorized runway entry. It’s like they were playing a real-life version of “Where’s Waldo?” except the Waldo in this case was a whole aircraft.
“A collision between a Japan Airlines plane and a Japanese Coast Guard aircraft at a Tokyo airport a year ago appears to have been the result of multiple instances of human error, according to a report released by government investigators on Wednesday.” – government investigators
But let’s not let the Japan Airlines pilots off the hook either. Somehow, they managed to miss spotting a whole plane on the runway. Their excuse? The runway lights and aircraft lights were overlapping. Because apparently, in the age of advanced avionics and radar, we’re still relying on the Mark I Eyeball method of collision avoidance.
The Aftermath: Bureaucracy to the Rescue!
Now that this clusterfuck has been thoroughly dissected, what’s the solution? Why, more reports, of course! The Japan Transport Safety Board has graciously informed us that this is just an interim report. We can look forward to a final report with even more analysis and recommendations. Because if there’s one thing that prevents disasters better than following existing protocols, it’s creating new ones!
In the meantime, let’s all take a moment to appreciate the irony of a disaster relief mission causing a disaster. It’s almost poetic, in a twisted, bureaucratic sort of way. And remember, folks, the next time you’re on a plane, just pray that everyone involved in your flight has had their coffee and bothered to read the manual. It might just save your life.
