On this day in 1985, a Japan Airlines jumbo jet crashed on a remote mountainside 70 miles (112km) from Tokyo in Japan. There were 15 crew and 509 passengers on board, mostly holidaymakers. There were no reports of survivors.
It was the worst disaster involving a single airliner and the second major accident involving a Boeing 747 in the past two months. In June a Boeing of the Air India fleet crashed into the Atlantic off southern Ireland killing all 329 people on board.
The Japan Airline's jet came down during a 50-minute flight from Tokyo to Osaka.
Ten minutes into the journey the pilot told air traffic control that a door at the rear of the plane was damaged. He said he was going to turn back and make an emergency landing. Minutes later he reported he had lost control of the aircraft. The pilot's last message was that he was lost and the plane disappeared off the radar screen. It crashed into Mount Osutaka where rescuers discovered debris spread over a wide area.
Accident investigators from Boeing were expected to assist in trying to ascertain cause of the crash. A key factor would be locating the planhear es two flight recorders from the Jumbo's tail section.
Four survivors were rescued nearly 15 hours after the crash.
After a lengthy investigation it was established that the principal cause was an incorrect fuselage repair carried out seven years earlier. Faulty splicing of two bits of fuselage had left the section up to 70% less resistant to decompression.
If you wish to see and listen to more of the Japanese air disaster click on the following video link:
