Remember lessons learned from JAL jumbo jet crash 30 years ago
August 12, 2015
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2015 August 12 - 18 [SOCIAL ISSUES]
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August 12 marked the 30th anniversary of the 1985 Japan Airlines (JAL) jumbo jet crash which claimed the lives of 520 people on board. Lessons learned from this terrible tragedy should never be forgotten.
Thirty years ago today, JAL Flight 123 lost its control ten minutes after leaving Tokyo for Osaka. Thirty minutes later, the aircraft crashed into Mt. Osutaka in Ueno Village, Gunma Prefecture, and all the passengers and crew members were killed except for four survivors. This was the world’s worst airline accident involving a single airplane.
In 1987, the then Transport Ministry’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Committee issued a report concluding that the cause of the accident was inappropriate repair work performed on the airplane by the U.S. aerospace company Boeing. The victims’ bereaved families, however, were not fully convinced by the report. It has been pointed out that more deep-rooted causes of this fatal accident lay in the stance of JAL giving priority to profit over safety and of the aviation authority that should have reproved the company for negligence.
In the wake of the deadly crash, JAL declared that safe operation is the basis of its existence. However, the company’s profit-before-safety management style remains unchanged as shown by the fact that the company dismissed a large number of veteran pilots and cabin attendants after declaring bankruptcy in 2010. In addition, the company has maintained its extreme hostility toward unions calling for better working conditions to improve safety and eliminate accidents. The airline should carefully evaluate its profit-oriented nature that conflicts directly with aviation safety.
The government policy on the airline industry should also be called into question. Though having a responsibility to ensure aviation safety, the government has discussed and carried out various deregulation measures related to safety in order to promote entry of low cost carriers. It is totally unacceptable to ease the rules regarding safety with the aim of improving business efficiency.
Concerns are growing that successive entries of new carriers into the market may result in severe shortages of pilots and mechanics. The aviation industry and the government should urgently work out measures to avoid a scenario where staff shortages endanger passenger safety.
Past related articles:
> High court approves unfair dismissal of JAL pilots [June 6, 2014]
> Japan’s pilots concerned over resuming B787 flights [May 11, 2013]
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