Japanese government panel proposes air traffic control measures to boost safety after Haneda crash
A Japanese transport ministry panel has proposed a number of air traffic control measures to boost safety
TOKYO — A Japanese transport ministry panel on Monday proposed a number of air traffic control measures to boost safety, more than six months after a fatal collision between a Japan Airlines jetliner and a coast guard plane at Tokyo’s Haneda Airport.
The panel recommended hiring more air traffic control staff at the country’s major airports, and introducing supplementary alert systems on the runway and in the traffic control room.
The proposal was released in an interim report compiled by a panel of experts commissioned by the ministry, which said that additional staff would reduce air traffic controllers' heavy workloads. Their responsibilities include monitoring runways, communicating with pilots and coordinating with other air control staff.
The recommendations includes hiring more air traffic control staff at Haneda, one of the world's busiest airports, and seven other airports, including New Chitose, Narita, Kansai and Naha.
The Jan. 2 collision occurred when Japan Airlines Flight 516, carrying 379 passengers and crew, landed right behind the coast guard aircraft preparing to take off on the same seaside runway, engulfing both aircraft in flames.
All occupants of the JAL’s Airbus A350-900 airliner safely evacuated in 18 minutes. The captain of the coast guard’s much smaller Bombardier Dash-8 escaped with burns but five crew members died.
The investigation into the collision has focused on what caused the coast guard flight crew to believe they had a go-ahead for takeoff. A partial release of the air traffic control transcript has shown no clear takeoff approval was given to the coast guard plane.
Investigation
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