Transcripts Reveal Japan Airlines' Coastguard Plane Denied Permission to Take off

Japanese authorities have revealed that the coastguard aircraft involved in a fatal collision at Tokyo's Haneda airport was not authorized for take-off. The smaller plane crashed into a Japan Airlines passenger jet on the runway, leading to a fire. Newly released transcripts of air traffic control instructions showed that the JAL Airbus A350 had been cleared to land, but permission for take-off was not given to the coastguard aircraft. The coastguard plane's last communication with the control tower was to confirm the instruction to taxi to the holding point. The transcripts contradict the statements of the coastguard plane's captain, who claimed to have received permission to enter the runway. All 379 passengers and crew on the JAL Airbus were safely evacuated after the collision and reported no problems before landing. Five coastguard crew members died in the incident, while the pilot sustained severe injuries. The coastguard aircraft was en route to help with earthquake relief efforts. Airbus is sending a team of specialists to assist with the investigation.