Tokyo airplane crash probe to look into controllers’ instructions

TOKYO -- Japan has begun investigating the fiery collision at Haneda Airport on Tuesday night, hoping communication records between air traffic controllers and the pilots involved can shed light on how two planes came to simultaneously occupy the same spot on a runway.

The Japan Transport Safety Board (JTSB), part of the transport ministry, sent six inspectors to the scene on Tuesday night and began its onsite investigation on Wednesday.

The Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department has also launched an investigation into the accident on suspicion of professional negligence resulting in death and injury.