Arab News Japan

TOKYO: Japan’s Ministry of Transportation released the communication records today after a collision between Japan Airlines and a Japan Coast Guard aircraft at around 5:47 p.m. on January 2nd on the runway at Haneda Airport.

“There is no record of the Japan Coast Guard plane having been allowed to enter the runway,” a spokesman for the ministry said. The runway stop point only refers to the taxiway.

“As far as we can see from these communication records, there is no record of Japan Coast Guard planes ever having been given clearance to take off. No permission was issued,” he said.

Analysts say this might indicate human error on the part of the Coast Guard plane.

Meanwhile, the Japan Coast Guard announced the names of the five Coast Guard personnel who died in a fire: co-pilot Nobuyuki Tahara (41), radio operator Takanori Ishida (27), search radar operator Wataru Tateto (39), senior mechanic Makoto Uno (47), and mechanic Kato Shigesuke (56). The pilot, Genki Miyamoto (39), survived and is said to be conscious.