“Air Traffic Control Oversight Raised Questions Before Deadly Japan Coast Guard Plane Crash

An investigation into a deadly runway crash involving a Japan Coast Guard plane in December 2019 has revealed that the aircraft was not given clearance for takeoff, according to transcripts of air traffic control communications. The crash occurred late on the night of December 5th at Okinawa Fitzgeral Airport, killing two of the seven people onboard the plane. An investigation by the Japan Transport Safety Board (JTSB), the nation’s accident investigation agency, found that the aircraft had not been given authorization to take off from the control tower, even though the captain had begun the takeoff procedure. The transcripts obtained by the JTSB from the control tower at the time of the crash show that the control tower was initially unaware that the aircraft was taking off, as the captain had failed to contact the tower for takeoff clearance. The flight crew subsequently contacted the tower for clearance, but were denied permission for takeoff due to a mistake made by the flight controller at the time. The transcripts also suggest that the flight controller did not communicate the denied permission for takeoff to the captain before the crash occurred. It is not clear why the flight controller did not provide the denial of take off to the pilot. The JTSB has said that the crash was caused by the failure of the captain to abide by proper procedure and take clearance from the control tower before attempting takeoff. It is believed that by not obtaining this clearance, the captain unintentionally triggered the fatal crash. The JTSB has since recommended the installation of new air traffic control equipment at Okinawa Fitzgeral Airport to ensure that this kind of mistake does not occur again. They have also recommended that flight crews should always ensure they communicate with the control tower to obtain takeoff clearance before attempting takeoff. This tragic incident serves as a reminder that flight crews must always take the utmost care to ensure they are following proper procedures and are given correct clearance from the control tower before attempting takeoff.