What do we know about the collision so far?
In footage taken at 5:47 p.m. local time, the Japan Airlines plane can be seen landing on the tarmac before a large explosion went off and left a trail of flames and smoke in its wake. device, which stops further away. “It appears there is a plane that was not supposed to be where it was. It’s either a pilot error or an air traffic control error,” explains John Gradek, lecturer at McGill University, saying that a report of the events should be made available soon. “What is clear is that it is a human error,” adds Mehran Ebrahimi, director of the International Observatory of Aeronautics and Civil Aviation at UQAM.
What is the outcome of this tragedy?
Five of the six occupants of the coast guard plane died after the collision, announced the Japanese Minister of Transport. However, all 379 passengers and 12 crew members of Japan Airlines were able to evacuate the plane safely, he added. “For an evacuation within 90 seconds, it’s very fast. People have to be well trained and listen, explains John Gradek. The flight attendants really did a magnificent job. »
Although the circumstances of this tragedy remain to be clarified, there is an increase in the number of “near-collisions” at airports in North America. What do we know about this phenomenon?
At the end of August, an investigation by New York Times revealed that the number of “near misses” that occur at U.S. airports is actually much higher than publicly reported. “In North America, we see that we are having more and more of this type of incident and we are trying to understand the main cause,” confirms John Gradek, adding that increased stress among air traffic controllers or the lack of The experience of certain pilots could contribute to this.
Could the increase in air volume from year to year also have a role to play?
Airlines expected to carry 4.35 billion passengers globally this year, not far from the record 4.54 billion in 2019, before the pandemic. “The quick answer is yes. But the question we ask ourselves in the world of air traffic control is: do we have sufficient skills to support the volume of air passengers that we have,” underlines John Gradek. Indeed, after experiencing a relative lull which led to job cuts during the pandemic, the airline industry recovered more quickly than expected, explains Mehran Ebrahimi. “It’s like someone has been in a hospital bed for a long time and has to get up quickly to run,” he pictures.
And Canada is not spared?
Canada is experiencing, as in many other areas, a shortage of personnel, more specifically air traffic controllers. More than 300 people who have received training in this direction are expected shortly on the job market, he recalled, and more than 500 people should join the training programs over the next two years, indicated Nav Canada in December 2022. Despite everything, the country was awarded a grade of “C” for the safety and supervision of its air flights by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) as recently as last December, below the mark obtained by several of its allies. A response from Transport Canada is still awaited in this matter, reports John Gradek.
And Japan?
The investigation by the Japanese authorities will certainly provide part of the answer as to the causes of the accident, but Mehran Ebrahimi is already surprised that such an accident occurred in the country of the Rising Sun. “Usually the Japanese are very meticulous about these security issues. They are not among the countries where the situation is very critical and they are known for following protocols,” he explains. “It’s not there that I thought such an accident would happen first,” adds the expert. According to him, the fact that the Japanese coast guard plane was responding to an emergency situation, since it was going to deliver food to victims of major earthquakes that occurred the day before, could however have played a role in the accident.
With Agence France-Presse
Canada involved in the investigation
As one of the planes involved in the accident is built in Canada, the Japanese Coast Guard Bombardier Dash-8, the country’s authorities may be invited to participate in the investigation into the accident at Tokyo airport -Haneda, specifies John Gradek. Canada’s Transportation Safety Board (TSB) confirmed Tuesday that it will assist in the investigation “to the extent possible.” “The TSB’s involvement in the investigation is yet to be determined. We are awaiting additional information from the authorities of the state where the accident occurred,” said its spokesperson Hugo Fontaine.