August 12, 1985
Mt. Osutaka, near Ueno Village, Japan
Japan Air Lines, Fight 123
Boeing B-747-SR46
JA8119
The aircraft suffered an aft pressure bulkhead failure at 23,900 ft. The
aircraft had severe control difficulties with loss of all controls and
eventually after 40 minutes, collided with a mountain. Improper repair of
bulkhead by Boeing engineers after a tail strike in 1978.
Five-hundred-twenty out of 524 aboard were killed.
CA = Captain
FO = First officer
FE = Flight engineer
ST = Stewardess
GPWS = Ground Proximity Warning System
URV = Unreadable voices
18:24:10
ST: Some passenger is pushing a switch. May I?
CA: Be careful...be careful and quickly.
ST: Thank you.
18:24:34 (large bang) (warning sound)
FE: Oh (warning stopped)
CA: What have you identified?
CA: Check gear...Gear.
?: Ah...
CA: Gear...
?: URV
?: URV
18:24:44 (Prerecorded announcement) Put on oxygen mask, fasten seat belt,
we are making an emergency descent
ST: May we ask you...passengers with infants, ...nearby passengers ....please be
ready...for
18:24:46
CA: Squawk 77
?: URV
?: URV
?: ehh...
?: URV
18:24:54
?: Hydro pressure dropped.
?: Amber light on. URV
18:25:03 (warning sounds)
18:25:13
CA: Right turn.
18:25:14
CA: Right turn.
FO: I did it.
CA: Yes.
18:25:50
CA: Do not bank so deeply
FO: Yes, sir.
CA: Do not bank so deeply
FO: Yes, sir.
18:26:08
CA: Recover it.
FO: It does not recover.
18:26:12
CA: Pull up.
18:26:25
CA: All hydraulics failed.
FO: Yes, sir.
CA: Descend.
FO: Yes, sir.
FE: It is...
CA: Descend. FO (warning sounds)
CA: Why this sound?
?: URV
18:26:45
CA: Right turn.
FO: Right turn.
CA: Your side is cleared.
FO: Yes, sir.
18:27:37
CA: Turn left.
18:27:46
?: Hydro pressure is all lost. All lost?
?: All lost. All lost. Yes.
FO: Ah...Please contact with company (radio) ah...them through 235 company
(radio)
FE: Yes.
?: URV
CA: Why are they so noisy?
18:28:48
CA: Left turn. FO
18:29:00
CA: ... dropped
FO: Yes, sir. I try...
CA:
FO: Yes, sir.
CA: Do not say, yes.
FO: Yes, sir
18:29:19
CA:
FO: Yes, sir.
18:29:56
CA: What is this?
18:30:27
FE: (through interphone) How about cabin pressure? Have cabin masks dropped? So?
Well, cabin pressure... please.
18:30:49
?: URV
18:30:52
FE: Because cabin masks dropped...
?: URV
FE: Cabin pressure dropped.
18:31:35
FE: What? more aft...ah...What was damaged? Where? ah...ah...ah... ah... Coat
room? for rear-most, is it not? Understood. Ah...Coat room...general...It
dropped in baggage space. It would be better to land.
FE: All persons inhale masks...
18:32:59
?: Do we descend slightly?
18:33:12
?: R...
FE: R5 window? Roger. Yes, roger. Yes, roger.
18:33:33
FE: Captain
CA: Yes
FE: R5 window...it would be better to make an emergency descent.
CA: Yes
18:33:55
FE: Do we put on masks?
CA: Yes, it would be better FE
FE: I think it would be better to inhale emergency mask
CA: Yes
18:34:06 (warning sounds)
FO: Please by company (radio)
FE: Roger (warning stopped)
FE: Ah... Where? URV
FE: Ah. Now...
18:34:37 (warning sounds)
FE: Ah. Where now URV
FE: Ya
18:35.OO
FE: Which section of Japan Air? URV URV
?: It is Osaka
FE: Yes
FE: Japan Air Osaka? Japan Air Tokyo 1 Japan Air Tokyo.
CA:
18:35:05 (warning stopped)
18:35:49
CA:
?: URV
FE: Ehh..
CA:
?: URV
CA: Do not care it.
18:37:08
ST: ... now ... please...
18:37:09
?: ah...Ah...ah..ah
18:37:30
CA: Nose down.
18:37:37
CA: Lower nose
FO: Yes, sir.
18:38:02
CA: Lower nose.
FO: Yes, sir.
18:38:15
CA: Lower nose.
FO: Yes, sir.
18:38:28
CA: Do it with both hands. With both hands.
FO: Ya, sir.
18:38:39
FE: Do we down gear? gear down...
FO: Gear down'
18:33:44
CA: Speed does not drop.
FO: Speed does not drop.
18:38:53
CA: Lower nose.
FO: Yes, sir.
18:39:11
FE: Do I set it in alternate position?
CA: Wait a moment...
18:39:50
CA: Lower nose.
FO: Yes, sir
18:39:54
CA: Lower now.
FO: Yes, sir
?: URV
18:39:59
CA: Lower nose.
FO: Ya, sir.
CA: What is this?
?: URV
CA: Lower nose
18:40:21
FE: Gear was lowered
FO: Ya, sir.
18:40:40
CA: Lower nose.
FO: Yes, sir.
18:40:59
CA: Lower nose, do not care it
?: ...URV
?: URV
?: URV
?: URV
18:42:15
CA: Lower nose.
FO: Yes, sir.
18:42:41
CA: Power
CA: Power
18:43:17
CA: Lower nose.
18:43:46
CA: It is heavy. Lower nose slightly more
FO: Yes, sir.
CA: It is heavy.
CA: It is heavy
18:44:21
CA: Did you do it to full?
FO: Yes, to full Controlled to full.
18:44:41
CA: Oh...it is heavy.
FO: How about flap, sir? Do I extend it?
CA: It is a bit too early.
FO: Is it too early?
CA: It is too early, too early
?: Was gear extended?
18:41:51
FO: Gear was extended.
CA:
?: URV
CA: Lower nose.
FO: Do I contact?
?: URV
?: URV
CA: Where?
18:46:20
ST: ..Those passengers who accompany babies, please keep your heads on seat
backs and hold your babies firmly. Did you fasten seat belts? All tables are
retracted? Please check it.. sometimes we land ... with- out notice...we keep
contact with ground ...
18:46:22
CA: Lower nose.
CA: We go?
FO: Yes, sir.
18:46:33
CA: It may be hopeless.
18:46:43
FE: Do I contact?
FO: Yes, sir.
?: URV
?: URV ?...aileron hydro off
18:47:15
FE: Hydro quantity all lost ...
18:47:28 (warning stopped)
?: ... quantity...
?: Yes
?: 119.7 to Haneda.
CA: It is a mountain
?: Yes, please.
CA: Raise nose.
CA: It is a mountain.
FO: Yes, sir.
CA: Control to right.
18:47:45
CA: Right turn, raise nose.
CA: We may hit the mountain
FO: Ya, sir
18:47:54
CA: Right turn. (warning sounds)
18:47:58
CA: Max power.
FO: Max power.
CA: Hold out.
FE: Ah.. Do you do it by two persons?
CA: We are two.
18:48:07
CA: Left turn.
FO: Yes, sir.
FE: Hold out.
CA: Left turn, now ..
18:48:12
CA: Left turn.
18:48:16
FO: Decrease power slightly...
?: URV
18:48:19
CA: Right, right, ... lower nose.
?: URV
18:48:24
CA: Lower nose.
FO: Fully controlled now. (warning stopped)
FO: ...it is totally ineffective ... URV
18:48:33
CA: Lower nose.
FO: Good.
18:48:40
CA: Here we go.
FO: Ya, sir.
?: URV
18:49:49
FE: Do I increase power7
CA: Power, power (warning sounds)
18:48:58
CA: Power (another warning sounds) Let's increase power, increase power
?: URV
?: URV URV (stall warning sounds)
CA: Ah...it is hopeless ...
18:49:40
?: Stall
CA: Max power
FO: or
FE: Max power
FO: or
FE: Max power
18:49:46
CA: Stall (Stall warning stopped)
18:50:04
FO: or
FE: Speed increases, speed
CA: Let's hang tough.
CA: Hold out. Fe Yes sir.
18:50:28
CA: Lower nose.
CA: Hold out, hold out.
FO: Fully controlled
18:50:31 URV Speed is decreasing, speed ..
18:50:49
FE: Speed is controlled by power. How about power control? Power control,
captain?
CA: Yes
18:50:55
CA: Speed is 220 knots.
FE: Yes, sir
CA: Do not lower nose. It increases speed
FO: Yes, sir
18:51:04
CA: It's going down.
FO: Yes, sir.
FO: Raise nose, raise. Note: spoken not by captain but by co-pilot.) Do I extend
flap?
CA: Unable.
FO: No, sir, with the alternate.
FE: It can be extended with the alternate.
18:51:22
CA: Lower nose. URV
?: URV
CA: With both hands...
FO: Yes, sir.
18:51:29
CA: Lower nose.
CA: Yes. Power.
FE: I increase power.
?: URV
?: Yes, sir.
18:51:41
CA: Lower nose.
18:51:47
CA: Hold out. (warning stopped)
FE: Flap was extended with the alternate.
?: Roger.
CA: Lower nose.
FO: Yes, sir.
CA: Lower nose.
FO: Yes, sir.
FO: URV
?: URV
18:53:13
CA: Raise nose.
CA: Power.
FE: Power up.
FO: It is 119.7. Ah...number two.
FE: Yes.
?: URV
?: Yes. (warning sounds)
18:54:16
CA: Yes, left, left turn.
FO: Yes, sir.
FE: Yes, 110.
CA: Left turn.
?: Yes. It is 119.7. (warning stopped)
CA: Request position.
FE: Yes, sir. I will ask them.
FE: Northwest of Haneda.
18:54:40
CA: Raise nose.
FE: How many miles?
18:54:47
CA: Lower nose.
FO: Yes, sir.
FO: Controlled fully.
18:54:55
FE: Yes, roger, roger.
FE: They said we are 25 miles west of Kumagaya.
CA: Flaps all?
18:55:04
FO: Yes, sir. Flap 10.
18:55:15
CA: Raise nose.
FO: Yes, roger, sir.
18:55:17
CA: Raise nose.
18:55:19
CA: Raise nose.
18:55:25
CA: Raise nose.
CA: Since long before.
18:55:42
CA: Stop flap.
?: Stop it.
18:55:48
CA: Do not extend Bap so deeply.
?: Flap up, flap up, Rap up, flap up...
?: Flap up.
?: Yes, sir.
18:55:55
CA: Power, power.
?: URV
CA: Flap.
FO: I am retracting it.
CA: URV
18:56:05
CA: Raise nose.
CA: Raise nose.
CA: Power.
18:56:14 GPWS Sink rate, pull up, pull up, pull up, pull up
18:56:19
CA: URV GPWS Pull up pull up
18:56:23 (sound of collision with first peak) GPWS Pullup, pullup
18:56:26 (sound of impact on the second peak)
18:56:28 (tape ends)