- Runway warning lights at Tokyo's Haneda airport weren't working Tuesday, reports say.
- The lights tell pilots when a runway is clear.
- A Japan Airlines jet collided with a coast guard plane Tuesday, killing five people.
Warning lights that tell pilots when a runway is clear weren't working at Tokyo's Haneda airport when a passenger jet collided with a coast guard plane, according to data.
A NOTAM message issued on December 25, which contains important updates on flight services, says the "stop bar" lights that warn pilots not to head onto the runway at the wrong time had malfunctioned.
The alert reportedly covers the runway where a Japan Airlines jet collided with a coast guard plane and burst into flames, leaving five people dead.
All 379 people on the jet managed to evacuate before it was engulfed in a fireball, with the plane's crew widely praised for its handling of the emergency.
On Wednesday authorities released a transcript indicating that the JAL flight had been cleared to land, but the coast guard plane had not been given permission to take off.
Japan Airlines also said its plane had been cleared to land.
An investigation has been launched into Tuesday's crash, with CNN reporting that investigators will examine conversations between the pilot of the coast guard plane and air traffic control in the moments before the collision.