JCG Aircraft in Another Incident at Haneda Airport Two Days After Fatal Collision

The Yomiuri Shimbun

17:09 JST, January 6, 2024

Another incident involving a Japan Coast Guard aircraft occurred at Tokyo’s Haneda Airport on Thursday, two days after a fatal collision between a JCG aircraft and a Japan Airlines plane, it has been learned.

The JCG aircraft was damaged after being struck by a JAL groundwork vehicle, but the plane was unmanned, and no injuries were reported, sources said. The Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism Ministry and others are investigating the details of Thursday’s incident.

According to the sources, the collision occurred at an aircraft parking apron located between an international terminal and Runway B at around 6 p.m., when a JAL high-lift truck for loading cargo struck the parked JCG aircraft. The aircraft, an LAJ501 manufactured by Gulfstream Aerospace Corp., belongs to Haneda Air Station.

The aircraft was not scheduled to fly at the time but was damaged, including a crack on the edge of the wing, and was rendered unable to fly. Details of the damage are being examined. When the aircraft will be able to resume operations is not yet known.

The ministry will investigate the incident as an accident that occurred in a restricted area of the airport.

The aircraft is equipped with high-precision radar and infrared search systems and is capable of long-range flights between Japan and the United States. The JCG has had two planes of this model deployed at the air station since 2005.