ANA Boeing 767 Nearly Collides With Government Jet Over Haneda on August 05

An All Nippon Airways Boeing 767 carrying 197 passengers and crew from Shanghai came within 100 feet vertically and 0.7 nautical miles horizontally of a Japanese government inspection aircraft over Tokyo Haneda on August 4 at 5:44 a.m. The aircraft’s collision-avoidance system activated, prompting the pilot to climb and abort landing. Both planes landed safely with no injuries. Japan’s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism has launched an investigation.

What happened in the near-miss

ANA Flight NH968 was descending toward Runway C when the Cessna Citation CJ4 inspection aircraft departed from intersecting Runway D. The government jet, operated by the Civil Aviation Bureau and known as “Doctor White,” had just taken off to conduct routine flight inspections of navigation aids and radio equipment. As the inspection aircraft climbed on a southwesterly heading, it crossed directly into the ANA flight’s approach corridor.

The Boeing 767’s Traffic Collision Avoidance System (TCAS) detected the conflict and issued a Resolution Advisory at approximately 5:44 a.m., commanding the crew to climb immediately. The pilots followed the automated instruction, aborting the landing and ascending to avoid collision. The aircraft later returned and landed safely at 6:10 a.m., 25 minutes behind schedule.

How close did the aircraft come

Flight tracking data showed the two aircraft converged to within approximately 100 feet (30 meters) vertically and between 0.7 and 1.0 nautical mile horizontally at their closest point. One source cited 70 feet of vertical separation. The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism confirmed that the inspection aircraft received no avoidance instruction from its own TCAS equipment, suggesting the government jet’s system did not detect the threat. Investigators have not yet determined whether air traffic separation standards were breached.

Why this matters for Haneda safety

The incident occurs 19 months after a fatal collision between a Japan Airlines Airbus A350 and a Japan Coast Guard Dash 8 on Haneda’s runway in January 2024, which killed five people and drew international scrutiny to the airport’s airspace management. Tuesday’s near-miss demonstrates that automated safety systems prevented a catastrophe, but also raises questions about coordination between air traffic control and government flight operations at one of the world’s busiest airports. The Ministry investigation will examine whether departure procedures for inspection flights need revision to prevent crossing active approach corridors.

What happens next

The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism is conducting a formal investigation into the loss of separation. Officials have not announced a timeline for preliminary findings or whether operational changes will be implemented pending the results. ANA has reported the incident to authorities and confirmed that both aircraft and all passengers and crew were unharmed. No damage to either aircraft was reported, and airport operations resumed normally after the go-around.

Final Thoughts

TCAS automation prevented a second major disaster at Haneda in less than two years. The investigation will likely focus on coordination between air traffic control and government flight inspection operations during peak landing periods.

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