Created Tuesday, Jul 25th 2023 19:16Z, last updated Thursday, Jun 27th 2024 22:24Z
A China Postal Boeing 737-800 freighter, registration B-5156 performing flight CF-205 from Shanghai Pudong (China) to Osaka Kansai (Japan), was on approach to Kansai's runway 06L and was cleared to land.
Japan's TSB reported tower had cleared a vehicle for a runway inspection onto the runway, which was still on the runway when the B738 was cleared to land. However, tower "chased" the vehicle off the runway, the aircraft continued for a safe landing. The occurrence is being investigated.
On Jun 27th 2024 the JTSB released their final report in Japanese only (Editorial note: an English version can be expected in due time) concluding the probable causes of the serious incident were:
This serious incident occurred when Vehicle B was conducting a routine inspection on Runway B after receiving permission to enter, and the Tower cleared the aircraft to land on the runway, which is considered to have been the cause of the aircraft's attempt to land.
The Tower presumably cleared the aircraft to land on the runway where Vehicle B was present because it received erroneous information from the Ground, which was in charge of radio communication with Vehicle A and Vehicle B, that the runway was clear, and because the Tower did not visually confirm Vehicle B on the runway, it determined that Vehicle B had left the runway and that there were no obstacles on the runway.
The Ground's information that the runway was clear was incorrect.
