Latest news with #IchitaYamamoto
Daily Tribune
7 days ago
- General
- Daily Tribune
Families Remember Japan's Deadliest Plane Crash 40 Years On
On August 12, 2025, family members of those who died in the world's deadliest single-aircraft accident gathered in Japan to mark the 40th anniversary of the tragedy. They hiked together to the crash site on Osutaka Mountain Ridge, where Japan Airlines Flight 123 came down in 1985, killing 520 people. The Boeing 747 had been flying from Tokyo to Osaka when it crashed about 120 kilometers northwest of Tokyo, just 40 minutes into the flight. Hundreds of people, including relatives and friends of the victims, climbed the mountain to visit the cenotaph built to honor those who lost their lives. One woman, who lost her younger brother in the crash, shared her feelings with Fuji TV: 'I want to tell him that all of his family members are alive, carrying his spirit with us. We are doing our best to live our lives.' In the evening, a quiet ceremony was held at the foot of the mountain where people offered white chrysanthemums and lit candles in memory of the victims. Gunma Governor Ichita Yamamoto said, 'It is our responsibility to make sure this tragic event is never forgotten and that its lessons are passed on to future generations.' The crash happened when the plane lost control shortly after takeoff. A loud noise was heard about 10 minutes into the flight, followed by an emergency call. The plane then shook violently before crashing. Most of the passengers were holiday travelers returning home during Japan's Obon festival. Out of the 520 people on board—505 passengers and 15 crew members—only four survived. An investigation later revealed that faulty repairs done by Boeing engineers years earlier had caused critical damage to the plane's rear bulkhead, leading to the accident. While this remains Japan's worst air disaster, it is the second deadliest single-aircraft accident worldwide. The deadliest was a 1977 collision of two planes in the Canary Islands, which killed 583 people. Japan has since faced other aviation scares. In January 2024, a Japan Airlines Airbus nearly collided with a coast guard plane at Haneda Airport. Thankfully, all 379 passengers on the JAL flight escaped safely, but sadly five of the six people on the smaller aircraft died.
New Straits Times
7 days ago
- General
- New Straits Times
Families mourn 40 years since deadly Japan Airlines crash
TOKYO: Family members of victims in the world's deadliest single-aircraft accident hiked on Tuesday to the mountainous site in Japan where the plane went down, as the country marked 40 years since the tragedy that killed 520 people. On August 12, 1985, the doomed Boeing 747 was around 40 minutes into an hour-long flight from Tokyo to Osaka when it crashed into a mountain about 120 kilometres (75 miles) north-west of the capital. Tuesday saw hundreds of people – including bereaved families and friends – hike the trails up to the cenotaph erected on Osutaka Mountain Ridge in the Gunma region where the jet crashed. Among them was a woman who lost her younger brother in the accident. "I want to tell him that all of his family members are alive, with his soul on our shoulders," she told broadcaster Fuji TV. "We're doing our best to live our lives." They gathered for a solemn ceremony at the foot of the mountain in the evening to offer white chrysanthemums to the deceased and to light candles at a memorial. "It is our responsibility to ensure that this unprecedented tragedy does not fade away and that its lessons are passed on to the future," Gunma governor Ichita Yamamoto said in his address. Japan Airlines Flight 123 lost control soon after take-off, with a loud noise heard about 10 minutes into the trip and an emergency declared, before shaking violently and crashing. The plane was almost full, with many holidaymakers flying back to their hometowns during Japan's "obon" mid-summer festival. In the end, 505 passengers – including a dozen infants – and 15 crew members perished. Just four passengers survived. Imperfect repairs to the aircraft's rear bulkhead by Boeing engineers seven years earlier – coupled with JAL's subsequent lack of oversight – were blamed for the accident. Numerous tiny cracks on the bulkhead – unnoticed on prior flights – burst, destroying a tail fin, rupturing hydraulic systems and sending the plane hurtling downwards. The world's worst airline disaster was the 1977 runway collision of two 747s on Tenerife in the Canary Islands that left 583 dead. More recently in Japan, a near-catastrophic collision occurred at Haneda airport between a Japan Airlines aircraft and a smaller coast guard plane in January 2024. All 379 people on board the JAL Airbus escaped just before the aircraft was engulfed in flames, but five of the six people on the smaller aircraft died.
Int'l Business Times
7 days ago
- General
- Int'l Business Times
Families Mourn 40 Years Since Deadly Japan Airlines Crash
Family members of victims in the world's deadliest single-aircraft accident hiked Tuesday to the mountainous site in Japan where the plane went down, as the country marked 40 years since the tragedy that killed 520 people. On August 12, 1985, the doomed Boeing 747 was around 40 minutes into an hour-long flight from Tokyo to Osaka, when it crashed into a mountain about 120 kilometres (75 miles) northwest of the capital. Tuesday saw hundreds of people -- including bereaved families and friends -- hike the trails up to the cenotaph erected on Osutaka Mountain Ridge in the Gunma region where the jet crashed. Among them was a woman who lost her younger brother in the accident. "I want to tell him that all of his family members are alive, with his soul on our shoulders", she told broadcaster Fuji TV. "We're doing our best to live our lives". They gathered for a solemn ceremony at the foot of the mountain in the evening to offer white chrysanthemums to the deceased and to light candles at a memorial. "It is our responsibility to ensure that this unprecedented tragedy does not fade away and that its lessons are passed on to the future," Gunma governor Ichita Yamamoto said in his address. Japan Airlines Flight 123 lost control soon after take-off, with a loud noise heard about 10 minutes into the trip and an emergency declared, before shaking violently and crashing. The plane was almost full, with many holidaymakers flying back to their hometowns during Japan's "obon" mid-summer festival. In the end, 505 passengers -- including a dozen infants -- and 15 crew members perished. Just four passengers survived. Imperfect repairs to the aircraft's rear bulkhead by Boeing engineers seven years earlier -- coupled with JAL's subsequent lack of oversight -- were blamed for the accident. Numerous, tiny cracks on the bulkhead -- unnoticed on prior flights -- burst, destroying a tail fin, rupturing hydraulic systems and sending the plane hurtling downward. The world's worst airline disaster was the 1977 runway collision of two 747s on Tenerife in the Canary Islands that left 583 dead. More recently in Japan, a near-catastrophic collision occurred at Haneda airport between a Japan Airlines aircraft and a smaller coast guard plane in January 2024. All 379 people on board the JAL Airbus escaped just before the aircraft was engulfed in flames, but five of the six people on the smaller aircraft died. People release balloons to pray for the victims of the Japan Airlines Flight 123 crash 40 years ago AFP
