ASN Aircraft accident Boeing 727-281 JA8329 Shizukuishi
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Status:Accident investigation report completed and information captured
Date:Friday 30 July 1971
Time:14:02
Type:Silhouette image of generic B722 model; specific model in this crash may look slightly different
Boeing 727-281
Operator:All Nippon Airways - ANA
Registration: JA8329
MSN: 20436/788
First flight: 1971-03-02 (5 months)
Total airframe hrs:865
Engines: 3 Pratt & Whitney JT8D-9
Crew:Fatalities: 7 / Occupants: 7
Passengers:Fatalities: 155 / Occupants: 155
Total:Fatalities: 162 / Occupants: 162
Aircraft damage: Destroyed
Aircraft fate: Written off (damaged beyond repair)
Location:near Shizukuishi (   Japan)
Phase: En route (ENR)
Nature:Domestic Scheduled Passenger
Departure airport:Sapporo-Chitose Airport (CTS/RJCC), Japan
Destination airport:Tokyo-Haneda Airport (HND/RJTT), Japan
Flightnumber:NH58
Narrative:
All Nippon flight 58, a Boeing 727-200, departed Sapporo-Chitose Airport at 13:33 hours local time for a domestic flight to Tokyo-Haneda Airport, Japan. The flight was cleared to follow airway J11L and climb to FL280.
About the same time, at 13:28, two North American F-86F fighters of the Japan Air Self Defense Force took off from Matsushima Air Base for a formation training flight. The instructor in one aircraft and a student in the other aircraft (92-7932) were going to practice several formations in training airspace located 9 km from airway J11L.
While maneuvering during the formation sequence, the instructor inadvertently flew outside the training airspace. He crossed the airway J11L and then performed a 180 degree turn back towards the training area. In order to do so, the formation had to cross J11L again. The formation was flying about the same altitude as flight 58, causing a conflict.
The trainee was following the instructor and did not watch out for traffic when the 727 approached. The instructor ordered him to break away from the 727. The trainee banked to the left but the leading edge of the right wing of his F-86F struck the left horizontal stabilizer of the ANA plane. The fighter's right wing broke off, causing the plane to crash out of control, but the pilot ejected safely. The Boeing 727 sustained damage to the stabilizer and entered an uncontrolled descent. It passed the sound barrier and subsequently broke up.

Probable Cause:

Cause:
The first reason was that the instructor continued the training flight without noticing that he had left the training airspace and entered the jet route J11L.
The second reason was:
- 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.

Accident investigation:

cover
Investigating agency: 
Status: Investigation completed
Download report: Final report

Classification:
Mid air collision
Loss of control

Photos

photo of Boeing-727-281-JA8329
photo of Boeing-727-281-JA8329
 

Map
This map shows the airport of departure and the intended destination of the flight. The line between the airports does not display the exact flight path.
Distance from Sapporo-Chitose Airport to Tokyo-Haneda Airport as the crow flies is 814 km (509 miles).
Accident location: Exact; as reported in the official accident report.

This information is not presented as the Flight Safety Foundation or the Aviation Safety Network’s opinion as to the cause of the accident. It is preliminary and is based on the facts as they are known at this time.
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Boeing 727

  • 1832 built
  • 15th loss
  • 13th fatal accident
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  • 2nd worst accident (currently)
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