Summary
Highlights
Japan Airlines Flight 123, a Boeing 747, takes off from Tokyo's Haneda airport on August 12, 1985, for a 54-minute flight to Osaka. Twelve minutes into the flight, an explosive decompression occurs, and the pilots lose control of the aircraft, which begins an uncontrollable up-and-down motion. The crew radios an emergency, reporting loss of hydraulic pressure and expressing confusion about the nature of the problem.
The pilots attempt to stabilize the plane, which is oscillating wildly and losing altitude. They request to return to Haneda but struggle to maintain a consistent course. Air traffic controllers and Japan Airlines operations try to assist, but the pilots are barely able to communicate due to the severity of the situation. Passenger Yumi Oi, an off-duty flight attendant, assists passengers with oxygen masks as the cabin depressurizes. The captain seems to be affected by hypoxia, further hindering their efforts.
Speculation arises about a damaged R5 door and potential tail damage. American air traffic controllers at Yokota offer assistance, but the pilots remain preoccupied with controlling the aircraft. They discover they can partially control the plane's pitch with throttle adjustments, an unusual and difficult technique. However, their efforts are hampered by the unpredictable nature of the crippled aircraft, which continues to dive and climb erratically. The plane eventually crashes into Mount Osutaka, killing 520 of the 524 people on board.
Fourteen hours after the crash, Japanese Self-Defense Force rescuers arrive at the scene and find four survivors, including Yumi Oi, a 12-year-old girl, and a mother with her daughter. All survivors were seated in the rear of the aircraft, where impact forces were less severe. Yumi Oi recounts hearing other survivors fading away during the night, highlighting the delayed rescue efforts. The crash sparks global concern about the safety of Boeing 747s and triggers an international investigation.
A photograph reveals the plane's entire tail fin was missing. A Japanese Navy ship later finds the tail fin floating in the bay, confirming it detached in flight. Investigators discover an earlier accident in 1978, where the plane’s tail scraped the runway during landing, damaging the rear pressure bulkhead. Boeing engineers had performed a faulty repair, using only one row of rivets instead of two, a catastrophic error that weakened the structure.
The faulty repair failed after 12,319 flights, a number exceeding the calculated lifespan of 10,000 flights for the inadequate repair. During Flight 123, the differential pressure between the cabin and the unpressurized tail caused the weakened bulkhead to snap, leading to an explosive decompression. This blast ripped off the tail fin and severed all four hydraulic lines, rendering the aircraft uncontrollable. The plane then entered a fugoid cycle of uncontrolled ascent and descent. Simulator tests confirm that even experienced pilots could not have landed the plane under such conditions. The pilots of Flight 123 are praised for their heroic 30-minute struggle to keep the aircraft airborne. The accident severely damaged Boeing's reputation and led to the resignation of Japan Airlines' president.