(NTV) An incoming Japan Airlines jet narrowly avoided a potential collision with a maintenance vehicle on Sunday.
The plane’s wheels touched down for an instant, but the pilot noticed the vehicle and abandoned the landing. The near miss happened at Tokushima Awaodori airport on Shikoku Island in western Japan.
The plane arrived safely with its 67 passengers 32 minutes late.
A flight controller mistakenly okayed the landing after forgetting that a vehicle was on the runway to change a distance marker light.
The Transport Ministry is looking into the issue and has called it a serious incident.
Japan’s Self Defense Forces operate the airport’s flight control tower. Normally four controllers are on duty, but at the time there was only one.
