Investigators focus on air traffic communication after fatal Tokyo runway crash

Transport officials and police have begun on-site investigations after a fatal crash at Tokyo’s Haneda airport involving a large passenger plane and a Japanese coast guard aircraft (Kyodo News/AP)

Japanese investigators were focusing on communication between air traffic control and two aircraft at Tokyo’s Haneda airport on Wednesday, a day after a large passenger plane and a Japanese coast guard aircraft collided on the runway and burst into flames, killing five people.

The accident happened on Tuesday evening when Japan Airlines flight 516 landed on one of Haneda’s four runways as the coast guard plane – a Bombardier Dash-8 – was preparing to take off.