Another “Only in Japan” story from Kyodo News.

11 officials admonished for directing plane to land on closed runway

TOKYO … The transport ministry admonished 11 airport and government officials on Friday, including a supervisor for air traffic controllers, for instructing a passenger aircraft to land on a closed runway at Tokyo’s busiest domestic airport last month when all 18 controllers on duty forgot it was closed for maintenance.

The Japan Airlines plane, an Airbus 300 service from Obihiro, Hokkaido, with 51 passengers and crew aboard, landed on the runway at Haneda airport April 29.

Of course, that’s the end of the story. It’s possible that this is an example of extreme group think and gross incompetence — even by Japanese standards — but I don’t think so. All eighteen controllers on duty cannot simply “forget” that a runway has been closed.

Far more likely, someone higher up screwed up and has arranged things so he does not have to admit it.

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