A Japan Coast Guard Gulfstream V patrol aircraft was hit by a forklift in a parking lot, leaving it damaged and inoperable.
The Yomiuri Shimbun newspaper reported over the weekend that the incident occurred at Haneda Airport in Tokyo, Japan, on January 4, when a Japan Airlines forklift crashed into a Gulfstream V patrol aircraft with tail number JA501A of the Japan Coast Guard that was parked at the parking lot.
The plane was unmanned and had no flight plan. The incident occurred just two days after a collision between a Japan Airlines plane and a Japan Coast Guard DHC-8-315 patrol plane that killed five people.
Japan Coast Guard technicians examine the plane after the collision at Haneda Airport on January 4. Photo: Yomiuri Shimbun
Images from the scene show a section of the Coast Guard plane’s wing edge torn off after colliding with a forklift. The exact extent of the damage is unknown, but the plane is considered unserviceable and it is unclear when it will be repaired.
Japan's Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism is investigating the cause of the incident.
The Japan Coast Guard has been operating two Gulfstream V aircraft since 2005. Each is equipped with high-definition radar and infrared search and rescue systems, and is specialized in patrolling and participating in maritime search and rescue operations.
JA501A aircraft landed at Haneda Airport in 2020. Photo: Jetphotos
A Japan Airlines Airbus A350 carrying 379 people collided with a Japan Coast Guard aircraft while landing at Haneda Airport on January 2. The accident caused both planes to burst into flames and were completely destroyed, but all passengers and crew members on the A350 escaped safely.
The captain of the Japanese patrol plane was the only survivor of the six-person crew. Data recorded with the air traffic control tower showed that the pilot of the patrol plane likely misunderstood the air traffic controller's instructions and flew the plane onto the runway without permission, leading to the collision.
Japanese authorities also announced today that they will reopen Runway C, which was closed due to the January 2 crash, after all the wreckage of the A350 and DHC-8-315 aircraft has been moved to a hangar. The closure of Runway C for nearly a week caused 1,200 flights to be canceled and affected more than 200,000 passengers during the New Year holiday.
Vu Anh (According to Yomiuri Shimbun, Kyodo )
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