Details are emerging now of how the collision occurred.
The incident happened when the Japan Airlines flight landed on one of the airport’s four runways where the coastguard aircraft was preparing to take off, according to the head of the Transport Ministry Civil Aviation Bureau.
The coastguard pilot reported to his base that his aircraft exploded after colliding with the commercial plane, Vice Commander Yoshio Seguchi said.
Transport safety officials are now analysing communication between aviation control officials and the two aircraft.
They plan to interview Japan Airlines officials to determine exactly what led to the collision.
The flight path of the Japan Airlines plane
The maps below show the route of the Japan Airlines flight 516, which was travelling from Shin Chitose airport, near the city of Sapporo, to Haneda.
The Japan Airlines plane was landing when it collided with the coastguard aircraft.
Fire crews inspect wreckage of smaller plane
Firefighters are working into the night to pick through the wreckage of the Japan Coastguard plane.
Experts believe the smaller aircraft was hit by the Japan Airlines flight on the runway as the larger plane came in to land.
Five crew members on the Coastguard plane were killed, although the pilot survived with injuries.
Three runways reopened at airport
Tokyo’s Haneda airport had stopped operations following the deadly collision but it has now opened three runways again, a Japanese transport ministry official said.
Japan Airlines’ rival ANA earlier said it had cancelled 110 domestic flights departing and landing at Haneda for the rest of today due to the runway shutdown.
