Japan Airlines B737 lines up with runway edge lights, aborts take-off

A Japan Airlines Boeing 737-800 operating a domestic flight within Japan reportedly lined up with the runway edge lights in error, causing damage to the lighting and leading to an aborted take-off.

The incident unfolded as JAL flight JL377 prepared to depart from Tokyo-Haneda Airport (HND) heading to Kitakyushu Airport (KKJ) located in the west of the country. The flight, operated by one of the airline’s 42-strong fleet of Boeing 737-800s with registration JA322J, was carrying 80 passengers and crew at the time of the incident, which took place on April 7, 2025.

According to the Aviation Herald, having left the gate for the one-hour and 20-minute domestic flight to Kitakyushu, the aircraft taxied to the holding point for runway 05 at Haneda Airport. Upon receiving clearance to take off from air traffic controllers at the airport at 19:11 local time, the aircraft began its take-off roll. However, it transpired that the crew had inadvertently lined up with the runway edge lights rather than the center-line lighting.

Markus Mainka / ShutterstockAt a ground speed of around 56 knots (64 mph/102 kph), the crew realized their error and elected to abort the take-off. Upon inspection of the runway following the incident, it was discovered that several of the runway edge lights had been damaged by the aircraft and required repairing. The airport was subsequently closed for around an hour while these repairs were carried out, with low-level disruption caused to flights as a result.

Following the incident, the aircraft returned to the parking area about 20 minutes later where the passengers were offloaded. They later flew to their final destination on a replacement JAL Boeing 737-800 (registered JA335J) departing at 23:52 local time, some five hours and 30 minutes after their scheduled time of departure.

Japan’s Ministry of Transport reported the aircraft collided with several runway lights during its take-off at about 19:11 local time, and that the runway needed to be closed for about one hour following the incident. Meanwhile, JAL confirmed the aircraft began accelerating for take-off which was later rejected. There were no reported injuries.

According to local reports, the damage was caused to taxiway lights at intersection D3 of runway 05m and there were also traces of contact with the lights on the number two tire of the aircraft’s left main landing gear. The Japan Civil Aviation Bureau has already stated that it is not classifying the occurrence as a serious incident. The aircraft involved has since returned to service.It has also been reported by the Aviation Safety Network website that the incident occurred one hour after sunset at Haneda Airport. At the time of the incident, the runway center lights around the intersection D2 where the Boeing 737 entered runway 05 were switched off due to maintenance, and only those center line lights beyond D3 were illuminated.

viper-zero / ShutterstockWhile this temporary lighting had been NOTAM’d to pilots operating at the airport, it seems as though this may have temporarily disorientated the pilots. Conditions at the airport at the time of the take-off were reported as fair with good visibility.

In January 2024, a JAL Airbus A350-900 crashed while landing at Haneda Airport after colliding with a Japan Coast Guard De Havilland DHC-8 turboprop on the runway on which it was landing. There were no serious injuries among those onboard the JAL plane, however, five crewmembers of the smaller aircraft were killed.     

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