A new report has shed light on the deadly collision between a Japan Airlines passenger plane and a Japan Coast Guard aircraft at Haneda Airport in January.

The Japan Transport Safety Board released a progress report on Dec. 25, detailing the sequence of events leading up to the collision. The report also includes a transcript from the cockpit voice recorder on the Coast Guard aircraft.

The incident resulted in the deaths of five Coast Guard crew members, while all 379 crew members and passengers escaped the JAL plane before the fire consumed it. 

FATAL MISCOMMUNICATION

According to the report, the Coast Guard crew mistakenly believed they had been cleared for takeoff by air traffic control, despite conflicting instructions from the controller.

The Coast Guard captain, the only survivor from his plane, testified to investigators that he thought the controller had prioritized their takeoff due to the aircraft's mission. The plane was to deliver relief supplies to Ishikawa Prefecture that had been hit by an earthquake the previous day.

The board has identified three key factors that contributed to the accident: the Coast Guard crew entered the runway believing they had received takeoff clearance; the air traffic controller failed to notice the Coast Guard aircraft entering the runway; and the JAL pilots failed to recognize the Coast Guard aircraft on the runway before landing.

JAL Flight 516 departed from New Chitose Airport in Hokkaido at 4:27 p.m. on Jan. 2. There were 367 passengers on board, including 42 children and eight infants, along with three pilots and nine cabin crew members.

The 50-year-old captain was a veteran with more than 12,000 total flight hours. There was also a training pilot on board.

The cabin crew members ranged in age from 25 to 56, and three of them had only three to four months of flight experience.

Around the time the JAL flight departed, the Coast Guard crew was preparing its plane for departure, loaded with relief supplies that included 100 blankets and 850 meals, to be delivered to the disaster-stricken area.

However, upon inspection, a mechanical malfunction was discovered, significantly delaying takeoff.

The Coast Guard captain was under pressure to depart as soon as possible due to the aircraft's scheduled return to Haneda that same day and the desire to get the crew home at a reasonable time.

The accident occurred at 5:47 p.m., when the landing Airbus A350 collided with the smaller Coast Guard aircraft on the runway.

NO LIGHTS OR INTERCOM

Immediately after the JAL aircraft's main landing gear touched down on the runway, the passengers noticed an abnormal sound.

Flames were visible near the bottom of both wings, and an unusual odor began to fill the cabin.

The JAL aircraft slid uncontrollably for about 1,400 meters while on fire, with passengers experiencing intense shaking. 

“Put your head down.”

The cabin crew repeatedly instructed passengers to assume a position to protect themselves from impact.

After coming to a stop, the cabin crew attempted to make an emergency call to the captain using the intercom, but they were unable to get through.

Soon, white smoke began to rise from the walls and floor, becoming thicker and more irritating.

The captain, who was in the cockpit, decided to order an emergency evacuation. He attempted to shut down the engines, but the right engine could not be stopped.

Along with the other two pilots, he left the cockpit to assist with evacuating passengers.

Coincidentally, two JAL group employees were also on board and joined the crew to help with the evacuation.

With power lost, the cabin's microphone announcements were no longer functioning.

The cabin lights went out, leaving only the dim emergency lights on. Although they provided enough illumination to see, visibility quickly worsened as smoke filled the cabin, especially toward the rear.

The cabin crew members identified the emergency exits that could be safely used for evacuation.

Of the eight exits on the aircraft, they chose the two at the front, as they were the farthest from the flames.

The first passengers evacuated the plane at 5:51 p.m., four minutes after the collision. 

QUICK THINKING

The rear left emergency exit was also used.

Unable to communicate with the captain, the cabin attendant in charge of the rear left emergency exit independently decided to open the door.

Following company regulations, the attendant confirmed that there was no immediate danger from fire or fuel leaks before opening the exit at 5:55 p.m.

The captain and crew moved around the cabin, giving instructions in both Japanese and English for passengers to evacuate.

Although they used megaphones, their amplified voices were muddled, blending with the noise of the chaotic situation and the engine sounds. As a result, most instructions were given without the megaphones.

Despite the situation, most passengers acted calmly and followed instructions.

Some remained in their seats. They had not heard the evacuation order and were continuing to follow the initial instruction from the cabin crew to stay low in their seats.

However, they were discovered by the captain, who was searching for anyone left behind, and evacuated.

The captain was the last person to exit the aircraft, leaving through the rear exit at 5:58 p.m.

Two minutes later, flames could be seen inside the cabin, and the amount of black smoke coming from the emergency exits increased.

The fire spread, consuming the plane before being extinguished at 2:15 the following morning.

One passenger fractured a rib from falling while escaping through an emergency exit, and four others suffered minor injuries.

Seventy-seven people complained of a sore throat, headache and other conditions, but there were no fatalities.

The accident made headlines globally. Although five members of the Coast Guard crew died, some stories praised the evacuation of all 379 passengers and crew from the JAL aircraft as a miracle.

The board’s investigation is ongoing to identify the exact causes of the catastrophe.

A male passenger of the JAL aircraft told The Asahi Shimbun immediately after the accident, “I was really lucky to be alive. I just hope this never happens again.”

(Yuji Masuyama also contributed to this article.)