Japan Airlines: The Crash of Flight 123 The

The last minutes of Japan Airlines Flight 123 from Tokyo have been the subject of intense debate since the Boeing 747 crashed on August 12, 1985. It remains to date the worst single plane air crash in history with 520 souls lost. Twelve minutes into a domestic run from Haneda Airport, Tokyo to Osaka, Flight 123 experienced every pilot and passengerÆs nightmare û a total loss of hydraulic pressure, as well as tail control surfaces, which rendered the piloting controls useless. The plane was out of control for the next 27 minutes, having lost a section of its tail, including the stabilizer after a rear bulkhead blew, ejecting the vertical fin and blasting away the four sets of hydraulic-control lines which enable the pilotÆs controls. The crew desperately tried to stabilize the plane using only engine thrust and flaps. Despite these efforts, the jet ôDutch-rolledö downwards, at an incomprehensible speed of 18,000 feet per minute, a pace that only fighter jets can handle. Captain Takahama fought to regain control of the plane, right up until 18:56, the moment of impact into the lower slopes of Mount Osutaka, located 70 miles northwest of Tokyo, where the plane exploded into flames.

The controversy surrounding this air disaster centers on three key factors. The most straightforward of these is the structural failure of the aircraftÆs fuselage bulkhead which can be unequivocally traced back to a poor repair job seven years prior to

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00 feet over the islands of Japan. The pilotsÆ distress is evident from the CVR as they attempt to land the plane by alternating the power output of the opposing engines. The ôblack boxö, or Flight Data Recorder (FDR) was recovered from the crash site and confirmed that the pilots correctly assessed the gravity of the situation before the crash and took every reasonable measure to prevent it. An unknown amateur photographer took an image (endnote) at some stage after the tail-fin sheared away. In 1995, debris from the airliner was found in Sagami Bay, located approximately twelve minutes along the JAL 123 flight path. Tail fin sections, lower rudder, rear fuselage panels and power unit ducting were located, conclusively confirming the point at which the stabilizing fin had detached (Lisk 1) and exonerating the crew of pilot error. Peter Lewis (1998) reported the details of one Boeing/Japan Airlines court case, where the pilots were praised for their actions in the flightÆs final moments. After the decompression, the humidity in the cabin condensed into a milky white atmosphere which lasted about thirty seconds, according to expert witness, Walter Schob. (Lewis 1) Even the combination of negative G forces, followed by triple
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