Tōhoku | Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives

Crash of a Douglas DC-9-41 in Hanamaki

Date & Time: Apr 18, 1993 at 1244 LT

Type of aircraft:

Douglas DC-9

Operator:

Registration:

JA8448

Flight Phase:

Landing (descent or approach)

Flight Type:

Scheduled Revenue Flight

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

Schedule:

Nagoya - Hanamaki

MSN:

47767

YOM:

1978

Flight number:

JD451

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Captain / Total flying hours:

16106

Captain / Total hours on type:

8468.00

Copilot / Total flying hours:

615

Copilot / Total hours on type:

380

Aircraft flight hours:

47767

Aircraft flight cycles:

53314

Circumstances:

The approach to Hanamaki Airport was completed by the copilot. On short final, eight seconds prior to landing on runway 02, the aircraft was caught by downdrafts and windshear. Three seconds prior to touchdown, the captain regained control but this was too late. The aircraft landed hard, right main gear first. It rolled for about 1,860 metres before coming to rest on the runway, bursting into flames. All 76 occupants were rescued, among them 20 were injured. A fire erupted under the right wing following a tank rupture.

Probable cause:

It was determined that the aircraft encountered windshear on short final with wind from 240° to 320° gusting 26 to 47 knots. The copilot who was at controls at this time was not sufficiently experienced according to the operator operational procedures. Poor supervision on part of the captain and a too late recovery were considered as contributing factors.

Final Report:

Crash of a Boeing 727-281 near SHizukuishi: 162 killed

Date & Time: Jul 30, 1971 at 1402 LT

Type of aircraft:

Boeing 727-200

Operator:

Registration:

JA8329

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Scheduled Revenue Flight

Survivors:

Site:

Mountains

Schedule:

Sapporo - Tokyo

MSN:

20436/788

YOM:

1971

Flight number:

NH058

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

155

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

162

Aircraft flight hours:

865

Circumstances:

The Boeing 727 departed Sapporo-Chitose Airport on a regular schedule flight to Tokyo-Haneda, carrying a crew of 7 and 155 passengers. While cruising at 28,000 feet, the airplane collided with a Japan Air-Self Defence Force North American F-86F Sabre registered 92-7932 and carrying a crew of two. Following the collision, both aircraft went out of control, dove into the ground and crashed in a mountainous area located south of Shizukuishi. While both military pilots were able to eject and were uninjured, all 162 occupants on board the 727 were killed.

Probable cause:

It was determined that the military pilot under training failed to see and avoid other traffic while conducting a training mission. Relatively inexperienced, the trainee pilot had a total of 25 flying hours and delayed a corrective manoeuvre as ordered by his instructor. This caused the right wing of the Sabre to struck the horizontal stabilizer of the B727.
The following factors were identified:
- The instructor continued the training flight without noticing that he had left the training airspace and entered the jet route J11L.
- It is estimated that the All Nippon Airways pilots saw the training aircraft at least 7 seconds before the collision, but the avoidance operation was not performed until just before the collision. This is probably because the ANA pilot did not anticipate the collision.
- For the instructor, the trainee's instruction to avoid a collision was shortly given to the trainee immediately before he saw the ANA aircraft, and he could not avoid the trainee's collision. This is probably because the instructor was unable to see the ANA aircraft.
- About two seconds before the collision, the trainee visually recognized the ANA aircraft slightly to the right of the accident aircraft, and immediately performed an avoidance operation, but was unable to avoid the collision. It is considered that this is because the trainee had little experience in this manoeuvre and was mainly devoted to maintaining the relative position with the instructor aircraft, and it was delayed in observing the ANA aircraft.

Final Report:

Crash of a Curtiss C-46D-15-CU Commando at Matsushima AFB

Date & Time: Feb 14, 1969

Type of aircraft:

Curtiss C-46 Commando

Operator:

Registration:

71-1134

Flight Phase:

Takeoff (climb)

Flight Type:

Military

Site:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

MSN:

33330

YOM:

1945

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

Crashed on takeoff. Crew fate unknown.

Crash of a Beechcraft H18 in Murayama

Date & Time: Oct 5, 1967 at 1115 LT

Type of aircraft:

Beechcraft H18

Operator:

Registration:

JA5137

Flight Phase:

Landing (descent or approach)

Flight Type:

Training

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Plain, Valley

Schedule:

Yamagata - Yamagata

MSN:

BA-745

YOM:

1967

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The crew (one instructor and three student pilots) was completing a local training flight at Yamagata Airport. While approaching the airfield from the north, the airplane suffered and engine failure. The instructor elected to make an emergency landing when the airplane crashed in flames in a field located in Murayama, about 11 km north of the airport. All four crew members were slightly injured while the aircraft was destroyed.

Probable cause:

Engine failure in flight.

Crash of a Boeing KB-50D-125-BO Stratofortress near Fukushima: 7 killed

Date & Time: Aug 13, 1964

Type of aircraft:

Boeing B-50 Superfortress

Operator:

Registration:

49-0377

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Misawa - Yokota

MSN:

16153

YOM:

1949

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The aircraft was on its way from Misawa AFB to Yokota AFB with 11 crew members on board. Following an uneventful refuelling mission, something went wrong and the airplane went out of control. Four crew members were able to bail out before the aircraft crashed in a mountainous area located in the region of Fukushima. The seven crew members who remained in the cabin were killed.

Crash of a Douglas DC-3A-SC13G in Sendai

Date & Time: May 10, 1963

Type of aircraft:

Douglas DC-3

Operator:

Registration:

JA5040

Flight Type:

Scheduled Revenue Flight

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

MSN:

6349

YOM:

1942

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

Suffered a ground accident at Sendai Airport. There were no casualties.

Crash of a Lockheed P2V-7 Neptune off Hachinohe: 10 killed

Date & Time: Feb 6, 1962 at 1615 LT

Type of aircraft:

Lockheed P-2 Neptune

Operator:

Registration:

4621

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Survey / Patrol / Reconnaissance

Survivors:

Site:

Lake, Sea, Ocean, River

Schedule:

Kanoya - Kanoya

MSN:

226-2005

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

While on a maritime patrol flight along the east Japanese coast, the airplane went out of control and crashed into the sea off Hachinohe. All ten crew members were killed.

Crash of a De Havilland DH.104 Dove 1B in Hanamaki

Date & Time: Nov 14, 1961

Type of aircraft:

De Havilland DH.104 Dove

Operator:

Registration:

JA5008

Flight Phase:

Landing (descent or approach)

Flight Type:

Training

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

Schedule:

Hanamaki - Hanamaki

MSN:

04430

YOM:

1953

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The crew was completing a local training flight at Hanamaki Airport. Following several circuits, the pilot started a new approach when, on final, the airplane stalled and crashed into the Tama River. Both crew members were rescued while the aircraft was destroyed.

Probable cause:

Loss of control on final approach due the failure of both engines caused by a fuel exhaustion.