Japanese authorities have released the full transcript of an air traffic control conversation moments before the fatal plane crash at Tokyo's Haneda Airport. The records show communications between the airport control tower and two aircraft, a passenger jet belonging to Japan Airlines JAL and a smaller Coast Guard aircraft. Tower records showed the JAL jet was cleared to land, while the Coast Guard aircraft was told to wait at a parking bay next to the runway.
The Coast Guard plane appeared to confirm the order to air traffic control to stop next to the runway before the collision, according to a transcript released by Japan's Transport Ministry.
However, a Coast Guard official said the captain of the smaller plane, the only one of six people on board to survive, said he entered the runway with permission.
The pilots on board the Japan Airlines jet were initially unaware the plane had caught fire after the collision - although photos showed the plane engulfed in flames, national broadcaster NHK reported.
The flight attendant informed the cockpit that the plane was burning, the broadcaster reported, citing Japan Airlines. According to the regulations of most airlines, cabin crew have the authority to issue an evacuation order in certain circumstances, such as a serious fire.
On Tuesday, Japan Airlines Flight 516 from the northern island of Hokkaido suddenly caught fire. All 379 people on board managed to escape the plane. Five people were killed on board the Bombardier Dash-8 turboprop Coast Guard aircraft that collided with the A350 large wide-body airliner, and the pilot who escaped from the wreckage was seriously injured.
Authorities are currently investigating what exactly happened, including how the two planes ended up on the same runway.
One thing investigators may focus on is a notice sent to pilots before the crash indicating that a traffic light strip embedded in the tarmac as an extra safety measure to prevent wrong turns was ineffective, according to a copy of the advisory released by U.S. regulators.
Tokyo police are also separately investigating whether professional negligence may have led to the crash, local media reported.
Former JAL pilot and aviation analyst Hiroyuki Kobayashi said: "It is very likely that it was human error. Aircraft accidents are rarely caused by a single problem, so I think there were two or three problems that led to the accident this time."