The Japan Air Lines Flight 123 Disaster

The Japan Air Lines Flight 123 Disaster

May 16, 2026 · 22 min · Episode 80

About this episode

This episode covers the catastrophic failure of Japan Airlines Flight 123 and its impact on aviation safety.

On 12 August 1985, Japan Airlines Flight 123 took off from Tokyo bound for Osaka, a short domestic journey during one of Japan's busiest holiday periods. Twelve minutes later, a catastrophic structural failure tore through the rear of the aircraft, destroying vital control systems and leaving the crew fighting to keep a crippled Boeing 747 in the sky. In this episode of Compact Disasters, we follow the story of Flight 123 from its routine departure to the hidden repair fault that caused the disaster, the crew's extraordinary struggle to control the aircraft, the crash in the mountains of Gunma Prefecture, and the investigation that changed aviation safety forever. Visit our website: Compact Disasters Find us on our social media sites: Facebook Instagram Pinterest Youtube #JapanAirlinesFlight123, #JAL123, #AviationDisaster, #AirCrashInvestigation, #DisasterHistory, #AviationSafety, #Boeing747, #CompactDisasters, #JapaneseHistory, #TransportDisaster

People in this episode

Host: Compact Disasters

Topics covered

Keywords

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Japan Airlines

Products: Boeing 747

Places: Tokyo, Osaka, Gunma Prefecture

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