On January 9, 2024, a week after the deadly JAL A350 and Japan Coast Guard Dash 8 collision at Haneda Airport, the Japanese Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT) released a summary of the emergency measures it already implemented and plans to implement in response to the accident.
The document outlines measures in five different areas. Some of the measures are obvious, others seem reasonable, yet others are head-scratchers. Continue reading to learn more.
#1: Asking Controllers and Pilots to Be Thorough About the Basics
The first point of MLIT’s five-point emergency measures says that on January 3, 2024, the ministry instructed air traffic controllers and pilots to be thorough about the basics, especially when it comes to runway-related movements, to always read back instructions, and to do all they can to ensure safe operations.
While there is nothing to disagree about in terms of the content of the instructions, the stress being put on read-back is interesting given that as per the MLIT-provided transcript, both the JAL A350 and the Japan Coast Guard Dash 8 read back the instructions they received perfectly.
#2: Dedicating a Staff Member to Monitoring for Incursion Warnings
The second measure that MLIT is in the process of implementing is stationing a permanent staff at air traffic control centers dedicated to monitoring the radar for runway incursion warnings. According to the document, “When the staff sees a warning, he will inform the air traffic controller in charge of the affected runway.”
Such a position was already created at Tokyo Haneda on January 6, 2024, and the measure will be gradually implemented at Tokyo Narita, Nagoya Chubu, Osaka Itami, Osaka Kansai, Fukuoka, and Naha Airports too.
To me, this seems nothing more than a knee-jerk reaction put in place to make it seem that the MLIT is doing something in response to the accident. Especially since air traffic controllers are MLIT employees and it is clear now that the runway incursion warning system in the control tower was in working order during the time of the accident.
After all, it is my understanding that the job of the air traffic controller in charge of a specific runway is to make sure that the operations on the runway are safe.
#3: Reminding Pilots to Look Outside and Painting Markings
The third area of emergency measures asks pilots to thoroughly monitor the exterior, especially when entering a runway or when on approach, and, once again, asks them to do all they can to ensure safe operations.
It also mentions that holding position markings at airports around Japan will be painted in a brighter, better-visible color.
Haneda Airport’s runway 16L/34R’s (i.e. the runway involved in the accident) markings were already repainted. The three remaining Haneda runways and runways at Sapporo New Chitose, Tokyo Narita, Nagoya Chubu, Osaka Itami, Osaka Kansai, Fukuoka, and Naha will follow.
While the recent accident appears to be a case of the pilots not realizing they had to stop rather than not seeing the holding position markings, improving the visibility of markings to provide an extra visual impulse is always good.
#4: Improving Communication Related to Runway Entry
On January 8, 2024, MLIT reminded pilots to only enter the runway when given one of the following instructions: cleared for take-off, cross runway, line-up and wait, taxi via runway, or backtrack runway. It also asked pilots to read back the instructions and ask for clarification if something is not clear.
Additionally, it banned the air traffic controllers from providing take-off sequence information for the time being. I.e. air traffic controllers cannot tell pilots they are “No. 1,” “No. 2,” and so on.
Given that the way “No. 1” was used in the communications between air traffic control and the Dash 8 bugged me from the moment I read the transcript (I could see how it could easily confuse someone and make them subconsciously enter a runway even if not given an explicit clearance), I am glad to see this measure implemented temporarily.
The measure was implemented at Tokyo Haneda Airport starting on January 8, 2024, and will be gradually rolled out to all airports in Japan.
In the long term, though, I believe the measure will be reverted and a measure making the phrasing clearer (e.g. being obliged to say something along the lines of “No. 1 for take-off, an ANA 777 on approach“) implemented.
Tower: JA722A Tokyo TOWER good evening. No. 1, taxi to holding point C5.
JA722A: Taxi to holding point C5 JA722A No. 1, Thank you. pic.twitter.com/ovNcgaDJo4
— Keishi (KN Aviation) (@knaviation) January 3, 2024
The last measure mentioned in this area is that MLIT will inform airlines about important things to keep in mind when taxiing around specific airports (such areas where taxiways are likely to be mistaken).
This is expected to be done at Tokyo Haneda sometime in mid-January. Sapporo New Chitose, Tokyo Narita, Nagoya Chubu, Osaka Itami, Osaka Kansai, Fukuoka, and Naha will follow later.
#5: Discussions About ATC Communication
The fifth measure will be a step toward going from the emergency measures above to implementing longer-term measures that will aim to reduce errors caused by misunderstandings between air traffic controllers and pilots.
In mid-January, MLIT plans to hold an emergency meeting at Tokyo Haneda with stakeholders to discuss things that can confuse communication between air traffic control and pilots, what can be done to improve them, and so on. Such meetings will then follow at Sapporo New Chitose, Tokyo Narita, Nagoya Chubu, Osaka Itami, Osaka Kansai, Fukuoka, and Naha Airports.
Summary
Immediately after the accident, MLIT started implementing emergency measures to prevent a similar accident from happening again. In a new document, the ministry summarized these measures – some already implemented, others yet to be implemented.
The measures include:
- Asking air traffic controllers and pilots to be thorough about the basics
- Dedicating a staff member to monitoring the radar for runway incursion warnings
- Reminding pilots to look outside thoroughly and improving holding point markings
- Improving communication-related to runway entry
- Holding discussions about how to improve ATC communications
Some of the “measures” are reminders about the obvious (e.g. “do all you can to ensure safe operations”), others are reasonable (e.g. painting markings in better-visible colors), yet others are head-scratchers (e.g. having a staff member dedicated to constantly monitoring the radar for runway incursions).
