Crash of a Martin 202 on Mt Mihara: 37 killed
Date & Time:
Apr 9, 1952 at 0807 LT
Operator:
Registration:
N93043
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Tokyo – Osaka – Fukuoka
MSN:
9164
YOM:
1947
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
33
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
37
Circumstances:
En route from Tokyo to Osaka, while cruising about 100 km south of Tokyo in marginal weather conditions, the airplane christened 'Mokusei' (Jupiter) hit the slope of the Mt Mihara (volcano) located on the Oshima Island. The wreckage was found few hours later and all 37 occupants have been killed. Apparently, the airplane was off course at the time of the accident, most probably due to a navigational error on part of the crew.
Probable cause:
Although the Japanese government aircraft accident investigation committee conducted a thorough investigation, it encountered some difficulty because of the rejection by the Occupation authorities of a request from the committee to provide a tape recording of instructions to the distressed aircraft from the Haneda Airport control tower. As a result, the accident investigation was closed with the aviation agency's report that the probable cause was the pilot's operational error.
