First Flying DHC-6-400 skids off runway at Aguni.

On August 28th, First Flying's [DAK] flight DAK101 operated by Viking Air DHC-6-400 Twin Otter JA201D veered off the runway to the right and crashed into the airport perimeter fence after touching down at Aguni [AGJ/RORA] around 0854 JST. All 14 on board, including three crew, evacuated safely, and some were treated for minor injuries at the island sole clinic. This aircraft was delivered in March this year and had only entered service earlier this month (First Flying bids farewell to Islander, welcomes Twin Otter.).

Viking Air DHC-6-400 Twin Otter JA201D seen after crashing into the perimeter fence after skidding off the runway upon landing at Aguni. (Photo: Aguni Airport)

Visibility was reportedly good at 10 kilometers and winds were mild as well at the time of the accident. "Touch down was like any other, but when I deployed the brakes, I felt something unusual as if the tires got locked. Then the aircraft became uncontrollable and skidded off the runway," according to the first officer who was at the controls. The 62-year-old pilot had logged 16,000 total hours, however, the flight was the final part of a 65-hour training on the new DHC-6-400 which would have promoted him to captain. A 57-year-old pilot served as captain on the flight. Crew training on revenue flights are not uncommon.

The right landing gear was torn off and the forward section seems to have significant damage. The aircraft is only six months old. (Photo: Aguni Airport)

Officials of Japan Transport Safety Board (JCAB), a division of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport, and Tourism (MLIT), arrived at the scene on the following day today on August 29th and designated it an accident. The nose and forward section of the fuselage have been significantly damaged, along with engine number two, while the right landing has been torn off. "It appears the aircraft still had speed when it crashed into the fence. We will tow the aircraft out of the area to examine it, while checking the flight records to investigate how and why it happened," said a JTSB official.

Aguni, which has a single 800-meter runway, will be closed until further notice. First Flying is the only airline serving the island with three-times-daily service connecting it with Okinawa/Naha [OKA/ROAH], the prefecture's capital located 60 kilometers southeast. The remote airport opened for flights in 1978. For the 750 inhabitants, a daily 130-minute ferry ride would become the only means of transport to and from Naha for the time being. First Flying will suspend the 20-minute route until the cause is identified, while it has also confirmed that the launch of new routes from Ishigaki [ISG/ROIG] to Hateruma [HTR/RORH] and Tarama [TRA/RORT], planned for December 1st, would be postponed.

Source: NHK, 2015 August 28th. (in Japanese)
Source: NHK, 2015 August 29th. (in Japanese)
Source: Okinawa Times, 2015 August 29th. (in Japanese)

Fuji Dream Embraer E175 loses cabin pressure over Akita.

On July 7th, Fuji Dream Airlines [JH/FDA] flight JH212 from Sapporo/New Chitose [CTS/RJCC] bound for Matsumoto [MMJ/RJAF] made an emergency landing at Niigata [KIJ/RJSN] en route, due to a warning light indicated a problem with the bleed air system. Aircraft involved was Embraer ERJ170-200/STD (E175) JA06FJ Purple, carrying 67 passengers, three flight attendants, and two pilots.

Embraer ERJ170-200/STD (E175) JA06FJ Purple at Fukuoka. Fuji Dream Airlines' fleet is currently comprised of three 76-seat E170s and six 84-seat E175s. (Photo: Ryosuke Yano)

JH212 departed the gate at New Chitose on time at 1430 JST and took off at 1444. Around 1524 when the aircraft was cruising over Akita prefecture, a warning light indicating a malfunction with the bleed air system came on, followed by a loss of cabin pressure. Declaring emergency, oxygen masks were deployed, and the airplane descended to 10,000 feet (3,048 meters), before diverting to Niigata, where it performed a safe touchdown at 1547.

Nobody was injured, and there were no abnormal odors or noises on the aircraft, according to FDA. Regulator Japan Civil Aviation Bureau (JCAB) has designated the occurrence as a "major incident," which could have led to an accident. The Japan Transport Safety Board (JTSB) is investigating the matter.

Source: Fuji Dream Airlines, July 8th. (in Japanese)
Source: Aviation Wire, July 8th. (in Japanese)

J-Air Embraer E170 encounters turbulence over Ibaraki.

On April 29th, J-Air (XM/JLJ) flight XM1252 (marketed as JL1252), service from Yamagata (GAJ/RJSC) to Tokyo/Haneda (HND/RJTT), encountered sudden rough air at 1,000 meters (3,300 feet) over Tsukuba City, Ibaraki prefecture, around 0945, local time. Although no passengers were injured, one flight attendant suffered a pelvic fracture, while the other had a shoulder bruise.

Carrying 35 passengers, two flight attendants, and two cockpit crew, Embraer ERJ170-100STD (E170) JA211J experienced what was likely caused by wake turbulence moments after it had turned on its seat-belt sign in preparation for approach into Tokyo's downtown airport. The two cabin attendants were preparing to make their way through the aisle for final safety checks when it happened. The Brazil-born regional jet made a safe landing at Haneda at 1002 and arrived at the gate at 1015, 15 minutes behind its published time.

Japan Transport Safety Board (JTSB) has dispatched three investigators. J-Air is the commuter arm of Japan Airlines (JL/JAL) and operates a fleet of 15 E170s and nine Bombardier CL-600-2B19 CRJ-200ERs from its base at Osaka/Itami (ITM/RJOO).

Source: NHK, April 30th. (in Japanese)
Source: FlyTeam, April 30th. (in Japanese)

Peach Airbus A320 narrowly avoids crash at Okinawa.

On April 28th, Peach Aviation's (MM/APJ) flight MM252, service from Ishigaki (ISG/ROIG) to Okinawa/Naha (OKA/ROAH), made a narrow escape as it descended too early and came within just 75 meters (248 feet) above sea level while coming in to land at the Okinawan capital.

Flying with 53 passengers, four flight attendants, and two cockpit crew (Argentine Captain and Japanese First Officer), Airbus A320-214 JA802P was approaching Naha when the pilot believed air traffic control (ATC) was telling him to land already when they were still in fact seven kilomteres north of the airport, putting the aircraft into a premature dive. Visibility was poor with rain and thick low clouds, and what could have been a serious accident was averted by the aircraft's ground proximity warning system, which prompted the crew to make a sharp climb. It made another approach and landed safely at Naha at 1210, local time, 30 minutes later than schedule, without any injuries.

Subsequent inspections revealed no abnormalities with the Airbus narrowbody. As a result, MM107/108, a round-trip from Kansai to Sapporo/New Chitose (CTS/RJCC), and MM111/112, a round-trip from Kansai to Tokyo/Narita (NRT/RJAA), were canceled.

Japan Transport Safety Board (JTSB) labelled this a 'serious incident', adding that the aircraft was in a "dangerous situation as it could have crashed into the sea." The accident-investigating arm of Japan's Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT) sent three officials to Peach's headquarters at Osaka/Kansai (KIX/RJBB) to look into the matter. The Captain claims that he mistakenly believed that ATC had directed the airplane to decrease its altitude.

Source: Peach Aviation, April 29th. (PDF; in Japanese)
Source: Nikkei Shimbun, April 29th. (in Japanese)