Japan airplane crash: Coast guard plane was not cleared for runway; airliner landing approved

Authorities said Wednesday that air traffic control cleared a Japan Airlines plane to land at Tokyo's Haneda Airport before it collided with a coast guard aircraft that had been instructed to stay off the runway.

Five crew members aboard the Japan Coast Guard aircraft were killed in the crash, officials said. The pilot escaped with injuries. That plane, which was preparing to take off from the same runway the airliner was landing on, was set to deliver aid after a deadly earthquake that rocked the country's West Coast on Monday.

"According to interviews with the operating crew, they acknowledged and repeated the landing permission from air traffic control, and then proceeded with the approach and landing procedures," Japan Airlines said in a statement Wednesday.

All crew members and passengers aboard the airliner were evacuated before the plane was engulfed in flames on Runway C.

How a fiery plane crash at Japan's Haneda Airport unfolded: Graphics detail the collision

Transcript shows coast guard plane was not cleared for takeoff

The Japan Coast Guard plane did not receive clear approval to take off, according to a transcript of air traffic control communication that was released by the Transport Ministry.

The transcript shows that the Japan Airlines jet was cleared to land and that the coast guard plan was instructed to hold short of the runway. The air traffic controller at one point said the coast guard had departure priority before the pilot said he was headed to the stop line.

There's no more communication after that, and about two minutes later the crash occurred.

The Japan Transport Safety Board began its investigation Wednesday and will interview the pilots of both aircraft. Police will complete a separate investigation into any possible negligence.

Japan Airlines' announcement system malfunctioned amid evacuation

After departing from New Chitose Airport in the northern region of Hokkaido at 4:15 p.m. local time, "the aircraft flew smoothly" before landing on Runway C at Haneda Airport, where it struck the coast guard plane at about 5:47 p.m., according to Japan Airlines.

It added that the "aircraft did not experience any issues or irregularities during its departure from New Chitose Airport or throughout the flight."

Both planes caught on fire. Video showed a large plume of smoke and flames erupt as the airliner landed and continued down the the runway. Five crew members were found dead aboard the coast guard plane, officials said.

When crew members on the Japan Airlines plane tried to use the announcement system to evacuate the cabin, it malfunctioned, according to the airline.

Instead, the crew had to give "instructions using a megaphone and their voices," according to Japan Airlines. "Cabin crew members determined safe exits for evacuation, and all passengers and crew members evacuated through three emergency exits."

All 359 adult passengers, including eight infants, three cockpit crew members and nine cabin crew members, were evacuated before the fire engulfed the plane. The airliner was a "total loss," the airline said.

One person received bruising and 13 others asked for "medical consultation due to physical discomfort."

"Sincere apologies are offered for the considerable concerns and inconveniences caused to our customers, their families, and everyone involved," read a statement from Japan Airlines. "Full cooperation will be provided in the investigation of the incident."

Contributing: The Associated Press

Christopher Cann is a breaking news reporter for USA TODAY. Reach him via email at ccann@usatoday.com or follow him on X @ChrisCannFL.