What happened
During a night approach to Tokyo-Haneda Airport, the crew of Japan Airlines flight JL516 was cleared to land on runway 34R. At the same time, a Japan Coast Guard De Havilland DHC-8-315Q MPA was positioned on the runway centerline, having been instructed by ground air traffic control to hold short at taxiway C5. The Dash-8 was conducting a mission to provide earthquake relief support to the northern peninsula.
As the Airbus A350 touched down on the runway, it struck the stationary Dash-8. The force of the impact caused the nose gear of the Airbus to detach and triggered a massive explosion. Following the collision, the Airbus traveled roughly 2,400 meters along the runway before veering right and coming to a stop in a grassy area near taxiway C11. The aircraft caught fire and was subsequently destroyed. All 379 people on board the Airbus were evacuated, though 15 individuals sustained injuries.
The Japan Coast Guard aircraft was also destroyed by the impact and subsequent fire. Of the six crew members on the Dash-8, five were killed, leaving only the captain alive with critical injuries.
Findings
Preliminary investigations by the Japan Minister of Transport indicated that while the JL516 crew had landing clearance and the Dash-8 crew had instructions to hold short, stop bar lights for taxiways C1 through C14 had been unserviceable since December 25, according to published NOTAMs.