de Havilland Canada DHC-8-315Q MPA – JA722A

Incident Overview

Date: Tuesday 2 January 2024

Aircraft Type: de Havilland Canada DHC-8-315Q MPA

Owner/operator: Japan Coast Guard

Registration Number: JA722A

Location: Tokyo-Haneda Airport (HND/RJTT) – ÿ Japan

Phase of Flight: Taxi

Status: Destroyed, written off

Casualties: Fatalities: 5 / Occupants: 6

Component Affected: A350-941 (JA13XJ) nose section, DHC-8-315Q MPA aircraft (JA722A), taxiway C5, and the entire flight.A350-941 (JA13XJ) nose section, DHC-8-315Q MPA aircraft (JA722A), taxiway C5, and the entire flight.

Category: Accident

On December 21, 2023, a serious aviation incident occurred when Japan Airlines flight JL516, an Airbus A350-941 (JA13XJ), collided with a Japan Coast Guard DHC-8-315Q MPA aircraft (JA722A) on the runway at Tokyo-Haneda Airport. The DHC-8, en route to Niigata, was instructed to taxi onto runway 34R via taxiway C5. After touchdown, the A350 struck the DHC-8, causing significant damage to the A350’s nose section. The aircraft slid off the runway, veering to the right and coming to rest near the intersection with C11. All occupants of the A350 evacuated safely, and one passenger suffered a crack in their rib. The DHC-8 captain, who had been cleared for takeoff, asserted he had been cleared for takeoff, which contradicts ATC records. Furthermore, the unserviceable stop bar lights for taxiway C5 were reported, according to Notam dated December 25th. The incident resulted in the deaths of all crew members and passengers, and the incident was reported by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism.On December 21, 2023, a serious aviation incident occurred when Japan Airlines flight JL516, an Airbus A350-941 (JA13XJ), collided with a Japan Coast Guard DHC-8-315Q MPA aircraft (JA722A) on the runway at Tokyo-Haneda Airport. The DHC-8, en route to Niigata, was instructed to taxi onto runway 34R via taxiway C5. After touchdown, the A350 struck the DHC-8, causing significant damage to the A350’s nose section. The aircraft slid off the runway, veering to the right and coming to rest near the intersection with C11. All occupants of the A350 evacuated safely, and one passenger suffered a crack in their rib. The DHC-8 captain, who had been cleared for takeoff, asserted he had been cleared for takeoff, which contradicts ATC records. Furthermore, the unserviceable stop bar lights for taxiway C5 were reported, according to Notam dated December 25th. The incident resulted in the deaths of all crew members and passengers, and the incident was reported by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism.

Description

Japan Airlines flight JL516, an Airbus A350-941 (JA13XJ), collided with a Japan Coast Guard DHC-8-315Q MPA aircraft (JA722A) on the runway at Tokyo-Haneda Airport. The DHC-8, which was on its way to transport supplies to Niigata in response to the Noto Peninsula earthquake which happened the day before, had taxied onto runway 34R via taxiway C5 as JL516 was on final approach. After touching down, the A350 struck the DHC-8. The nose section of the A350 suffered severe damage. The Airbus slid over the runway for about 1700 meters, until it veered to the right, coming to stop next to the runway just before the intersection with C11, and a fire erupted in both aircraft. All occupants of the A350 evacuated safely via L1, R1 and L4 doors. One passenger suffered injury of crack(s) in rib(s), another one a bruise, the third people a sprain. 12 others also sent to hospital due to feeling unwell. Another passenger’s bone bruise on shin bone was reported a month later. The captain of the DHC-8 Japan Coast Guard aircraft also survived with severe burn injuries. The remaining crew of five were killed in the accident. Communications released by Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism indicate that JL516 had been cleared to land on runway 34R. JA722A had been instructed to hold short on taxiway C5. This instruction was read back correctly, however, the survived captain of DHC-8 asserted just after the accident that he had been cleared for takeoff, which is contrary to the ATC record. Additionally, it appears the stop bar lights for taxiway C5 (and other taxiways) was unserviceable, as per Notam published on December 25: “STOP-BAR-LGT FOR C1 THRU C14-U/S”.

Source of Information

https://www3.nhk.or.jp/news/html/20240102/k10014307191000.html, https://www.47news.jp/, https://news.yahoo.co.jp/articles/dd0a2562e330efb8d7f188f39397f59b9a57376b, https://news.yahoo.co.jp/articles/93d45121433ea4740c7ac951278f06f6e3c7e514, https://news.yahoo.co.jp/articles/d09559d70c4af8da26b27aeb10ea68b16bd2f2ac, https://news.yahoo.co.jp/articles/a97c627e82c55a543df9349f13f10ff4e0927628, https://jtsb.mlit.go.jp/jtsb/aircraft/detail2.php?id=2376, https://news.yahoo.co.jp/articles/cccd3f47cf567fb097357d173b4f7b32df6fd17d, https://news.yahoo.co.jp/articles/83a30afdffabf5ebe1a876de7150760c30a5e359, https://news.yahoo.co.jp/articles/fdaf832374d6dc3f09da117f2943546e8be3c2fe, https://news.yahoo.co.jp/articles/3d1ecf9c95ac2f5ece5ad3390eb91e185a00d683, https://news.yahoo.co.jp/articles/83ccecab7bfec7ecd0e6e8d8a30889d56c4b148d, https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2024/12/25/japan/haneda-collision-report/, https://www.flightglobal.com/safety/jal-a350-collision-tokyo-haneda-runway-conflict-system-difficult-to-rely-on/161253.article, https://jtsb.mlit.go.jp/aircraft/rep-acci/keika20241225-JA722A_JA13XJ.pdf, https://www.flightaware.com/live/flight/JAL516https://www3.nhk.or.jp/news/html/20240102/k10014307191000.html, https://www.47news.jp/, https://news.yahoo.co.jp/articles/dd0a2562e330efb8d7f188f39397f59b9a57376b, https://news.yahoo.co.jp/articles/93d45121433ea4740c7ac951278f06f6e3c7e514, https://news.yahoo.co.jp/articles/d09559d70c4af8da26b27aeb10ea68b16bd2f2ac, https://news.yahoo.co.jp/articles/a97c627e82c55a543df9349f13f10ff4e0927628, https://jtsb.mlit.go.jp/jtsb/aircraft/detail2.php?id=2376, https://news.yahoo.co.jp/articles/cccd3f47cf567fb097357d173b4f7b32df6fd17d, https://news.yahoo.co.jp/articles/83a30afdffabf5ebe1a876de7150760c30a5e359, https://news.yahoo.co.jp/articles/fdaf832374d6dc3f09da117f2943546e8be3c2fe, https://news.yahoo.co.jp/articles/3d1ecf9c95ac2f5ece5ad3390eb91e185a00d683, https://news.yahoo.co.jp/articles/83ccecab7bfec7ecd0e6e8d8a30889d56c4b148d, https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2024/12/25/japan/haneda-collision-report/, https://www.flightglobal.com/safety/jal-a350-collision-tokyo-haneda-runway-conflict-system-difficult-to-rely-on/161253.article, https://jtsb.mlit.go.jp/aircraft/rep-acci/keika20241225-JA722A_JA13XJ.pdf, https://www.flightaware.com/live/flight/JAL516

Primary Cause

Incorrect clearance and communication between ATC and the aircraft, leading to a collision and subsequent damage.Incorrect clearance and communication between ATC and the aircraft, leading to a collision and subsequent damage.

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