JL 123
12 Aug 1985 · Mechanical & Structural FailureJAPAN AIRLINES FLIGHT 123
Boeing 747SR · Japan Airlines · Image: Wikimedia Commons
Why it happened
Faulty bulkhead repair failed at 24,000 ft
Rear pressure bulkhead
Vertical stabilizer
All four hydraulic systems
Aircraft
Boeing 747SR
Japan Airlines
Route
Tokyo–Haneda (HND), Japan
→ Osaka–Itami (ITM), Japan
People
524 on board
520 fatalities
Date
12 Aug 1985
Flight crew
Captain: Masami Takahama
Category
Mechanical & Structural Failure
Metal fatigue, broken parts, failed repairs.
THE STORY
A botched bulkhead repair from 1978 finally gave way. The tail blew off at 24,000 ft; the crew fought for 32 minutes with no hydraulics before hitting Mt. Takamagahara. 520 dead — the deadliest single-aircraft crash ever.