Japan Airlines Flight 123 (JAL123)
Incident: On August 12, 1985, Japan Airlines Flight 123, a Boeing 747-SR46, crashed on Osutaka Ridge, in Ueno, Gunma Prefecture, Japan, about 100 km (62 mi) northwest of Tokyo, while on a scheduled domestic passenger flight from Tokyo International Airport to Osaka International Airport. It is the deadliest single-aircraft accident and the deadliest aviation accident in Japanese history. Of the 524 passengers and crew on board, only four survived.
Cause: The crash was caused by a combination of factors, including a design flaw in the aircraft’s rear pressure bulkhead, inadequate maintenance, and the failure of the crew to properly respond to the depressurization that occurred when the bulkhead failed.
Design Flaw: The Boeing 747’s rear pressure bulkhead was designed with a single row of bolts to hold it in place. This design was later found to be inadequate, as it could allow the bulkhead to crack and fail under certain conditions.
Inadequate Maintenance: The Japan Airlines maintenance crew had failed to properly inspect and maintain the rear pressure bulkhead on JAL123. This allowed a crack to develop in the bulkhead, which eventually led to its failure.
Crew Response: When the rear pressure bulkhead failed, the crew was slow to respond. They failed to don their oxygen masks and did not immediately descend to a lower altitude. This delay allowed the depressurization to cause hypoxia (oxygen deprivation) in the cabin, which impaired the crew’s ability to operate the aircraft.
Impact: The crash of Japan Airlines Flight 123 had a profound impact on the aviation industry. It led to new regulations for the design and maintenance of aircraft, and it also raised awareness of the importance of crew training and hypoxia. The crash also led to a loss of confidence in Japan Airlines, which took years to recover from.
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