On Tuesday morning, Tokyo Haneda Airport (HND) narrowly avoided a significant widebody disaster. An All Nippon Airways (ANA) Boeing 767 arriving from Shanghai came alarmingly close—about 70 feet (20 meters)—to a flight inspection aircraft operated by the Japan Civil Aviation Bureau (JCAB) during its final approach.
This critical near-miss involved ANA Flight NH968 and a JCAB Cessna Citation CJ4. Fortunately, both aircraft landed without incident, but the occurrence drew immediate attention from aviation enthusiasts, especially since Haneda is under close observation following the tragic runway collision between a Japan Airlines Airbus A350 and a Japan Coast Guard Dash 8 in January 2024. Investigators are expected to look into this recent event to understand how the two planes ended up so close in one of the busiest airspaces globally.
The Events As They Unfolded
Flight NH968 is the first of ANA’s two daily flights from Shanghai Pudong International Airport (PVG) to Haneda, operated by a Boeing 767-300 (registered JA626A) on Tuesday morning. According to FlightRadar24, it took off shortly before 2:30 AM for the brief journey across the East China Sea, and by 5:40 AM, it was maneuvering over Tokyo Bay, preparing for its final approach to Runway 34R at HND.
Simultaneously, the JCAB’s Cessna CJ4 had just taken off from Runway 06 to conduct a scheduled flight inspection around Haneda. After making a sharp right turn post-departure, it was climbing on a southwesterly course, directly in the path of the incoming ANA 767. The air traffic control audio indicates that the approach controller was extremely agitated as the two aircraft converged, coming within 70 feet (20 meters) of each other while both were at 1,000 feet altitude.
The audio also reveals that the pilots of Flight NH968 reported receiving a TCAS RA (Resolution Advisory), an automated collision-avoidance alert that instructs pilots to take immediate evasive measures when another aircraft is predicted to come dangerously close. Such alerts are quite rare during standard airport operations and serve as the last line of defense against midair collisions.
This TCAS command may have been the crucial factor that prevented a disastrous midair collision. FlightRadar24 data shows that the ANA 767 immediately initiated a steep climb, eventually banking right and away from the airport before landing approximately 15 minutes later. Meanwhile, the JCAB CJ4 flight inspection aircraft briefly halted its ascent and descended to 900 feet, passing beneath the ANA 767 before continuing its mission across Tokyo Bay.
What Is A Flight Inspection Aircraft?
Flight inspection aircraft carry out one of aviation’s least visible yet most vital safety roles. Their responsibility is to ensure that airports’ navigation aids are transmitting accurate signals, allowing pilots to depend on instrument procedures during adverse weather conditions. Regular inspections are necessary for airports worldwide to maintain their certification.
During these operations, specially equipped aircraft execute highly precise approaches, departures, and missed approaches, while advanced onboard equipment assesses the accuracy of Instrument Landing Systems (ILS), approach lighting, radio navigation aids, and other essential infrastructure. Because these flights intentionally follow atypical profiles that differ from standard airline operations, they necessitate careful coordination with air traffic controllers.
This unusual mission helps clarify why a small business jet was operating in one of the world’s busiest airports early in the morning. The aircraft involved was a Cessna Citation CJ4 (registration JA010G), call sign “CKSTR10” (Checkstar 10), which has been part of the JCAB flight inspection program since its delivery in 2015. It is a cruel irony that while it was on a mission to calibrate Haneda’s navigation and safety systems, it inadvertently created a serious safety incident.
A New Incident
Source: Original article
