How Japan Airlines changed safety record after 'deadliest accident' killed 520
Japan Airlines' excellent safety record is 'written in the blood' of those who died in an historic plane crash suffered by the company, claiming 520 lives.
On Tuesday's crash, 379 passengers of Japan Airlines flight JAL-516 got out safely before the plane was entirely engulfed in flames when Japan Airline Flight S16 collided with a J apanese Coast Guard aircraft at Haneda Airport. It was later confirmed five died in the Coast Guard plane, and some commercial passengers required medical treatment - but overall, most escaped unscathed, surprising many. It's also good news in terms of overall aviation safety.
With wild flames, many expected a disaster, but JAL has a reputation for safety. A pilot works at a major European airline, explained to CNN in an interview that their record was "written in the blood of others who haven’t been so fortunate."
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While everyone survived on the commercial flight, five Coast Guard members on their way to do rescue after an earthquake were killed (The Asahi Shimbun via Getty Imag)In fact, while Japan Airlines is currently known as one of the safest airlines to fly on, it once became known for one of the deadliest plane accidents in history. On August 12, 1985, JAL flight 123 from Tokyo to Osaka crashed and killed 520 onboard. The accident was caused by a faulty repair of the tail by Boeing technicians, not the airline’s. It became one of the deadliest aviation accidents, and the deadliest-ever single-aircraft crash.
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In 2005, longtime administrators realized that much of the airline's staff was too young to remember this accident. But they didn't want these safety lessons to be forgotten. Japan Airlines created a museum-like display at their corporate HQ, showcasing parts of the wreckage. They also feature stories from the crew and passengers.
"Clearly, the effect was profound on the airline," says Graham Braithwaite, professor of safety and accident investigation at the UK’s Cranfield University.
A Japan Airlines plane was in flames on the runway of Tokyo's Haneda Airport on January 2nd (AFP via Getty Images)“The feeling was, there are people who’ve joined our business who don’t know what it’s like to go wrong. Everyone has to understand how much effort goes into safety,” says Braithwaite.
The professor continued to explain that as aircraft have gotten bigger and air travel more refined, most airlines can carry out evacuations efficiently and that all passengers can be out in 90 seconds when all protocols are followed - which is good news for anyone with a slight fear of flying.
“In a culture like Japan’s, they took that responsibility as a group and wanted to make sure nothing like that ever happened again. So when things go wrong, they see it in terms of how they can learn. Everything is an opportunity to improve.”
This became apparent after Fumio Kishida, Japan's prime minister, told reporters at a press conference that the airline managed to save everyone on their plane. He told cameras, he would like "to express my heartfelt gratitude for the efforts" to evacuate the passenger plane.
All 379 passengers and crew members of JAL 516 escaped thanks to safety procedures (The Asahi Shimbun via Getty Imag)He continued, "It is a very disappointing and saddening situation," he says, adding his "heartfelt condolences" to the families of the Coast Guard victims.
Hundreds did survive, although the fire burned on for hours in a dramatic scene. Two hours after the plane landed on the runway, erupting in flames as it collided with a smaller plane, the aircraft and its wreckage was still on fire.
Former commercial pilot Roger Whitefield told Sky News: "We have just witnessed a miracle The way they got all those passengers off that aeroplane is almost beyond belief."
The jet was reduced to a gutted shell, with huge smoke plumes continuing to snake into the sky as firefighters desperately tried to bring it under control for hours.
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Haneda is one of Japan's busiest airports and a key travel hub for people traveling across the country during the New Year holidays.
This firey crash in Tokyo comes following an incredibly safe year for commercial aviation, as fewer aircraft accidents and deaths were recorded in 2023 than ever before.
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