Human error likely caused Japan air collision: expert

STORY: "I think there was a miscommunication between the airport control center and the Japan Coast Guard plane, or the pilot of the Japan Coast Guard plane misunderstood something he heard," Kobayashi said.

Japanese authorities said on Wednesday that a passenger jet that collided with a Coast Guard turboprop at a Tokyo airport was given permission to land, but the smaller plane was not cleared for take-off, based on transcripts of conversations with the control tower.

All 379 people aboard the Japan Airlines (JAL) Airbus A350 had a miraculous escape after it erupted in flames following Tuesday's crash with a De Havilland Dash-8 Coast Guard turboprop shortly after landing at Haneda airport.

Five died among the six Coast Guard crew who were due to depart on a flight responding to a major earthquake on the west coast, while the captain, who escaped the wreckage, was badly injured.