The breakdown of the wireless communications system aboard an All Nippon Airways plane earlier this month at Nagasaki airport was not caused by a passenger's mobile phone that had been left on, as initially suggested, but was attributable instead to a broken microphone cable attached to the captain's seat, according to the communications ministry.

Japan's Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications inspected the Boeing 767 aircraft used by ANA for flight 662 bound for Tokyo on Oct 17, and also the mobile phone of the passenger in question. The plane experienced a glitch in its wireless communications while it was taxiing prior to take-off. ANA earlier said the cockpit crew could not pin down the cause of the problem but noted that the system started operating normally after the passenger reacted to a cabin crew announcement asking passengers to turn off mobile phones.