Incident Overview
On June 15, 2019, at approximately 18:05 Japan Standard Time, a serious incident occurred at Tokyo International Airport. A Skymark Airlines Boeing 737-800 (registration JA73AB) was on final approach to Runway 34L with a landing clearance from air traffic control. Simultaneously, an All Nippon Airways Boeing 787-9 (registration JA885A) crossed the same runway after receiving a clearance from the same controller.
Aircraft Involved
- Aircraft A: Boeing 737-800, registration JA73AB, operated by Skymark Airlines Inc.
- Aircraft B: Boeing 787-9, registration JA885A, operated by All Nippon Airways Co., Ltd.
Sequence of Events
The controller on duty was a trainee receiving on-the-job training at the Tower West position, supervised by a qualified controller. The trainee had issued a landing clearance to the Skymark aircraft at 18:03:19, after confirming the preceding aircraft was about to land. At 18:03:40, the trainee noticed the ANA aircraft taxiing toward the runway and instructed it to hold short. However, due to distractions and workload, the trainee subsequently cleared the ANA aircraft to cross Runway 34L at 18:04:09. The ANA aircraft crossed while visually confirming the preceding aircraft vacating the runway. The trainee later realized the landing clearance had been issued to the Skymark aircraft but did not take corrective action. The Skymark aircraft continued its approach and landed safely.
Investigation Findings
The Japan Transport Safety Board classified the event as a serious incident under the category "Attempt of landing on a runway being used by other aircraft." The investigation noted that the trainee had difficulty managing multiple tasks, and the supervisor was coordinating with other positions, momentarily losing awareness of the trainee's actions. No injuries or damage were reported.