Your video did not mention the saddest part of this disaster. The crash was spotted 20 minutes after it happened by a US Airforce C-130 who went looking for it, and US Marine medics and rescue personnel were quickly staged from the nearby base and set to repel down from helicopters to the crash site. Inexplicably, the Japanese government refused to let them go help. A Japanese helicopter eventually found the crash site after dark, and from the air declared that there were no survivors. They then staged 39 miles away and waited till morning to even go to the crash site. It was later found out that many people died overnight from injuries they would have survived if they had of had medical attention. One of the 4 survivors said there were many people moaning and crying throughout the night but all these cries eventually faded away and until it was silent.
THIS is what makes me break. The crew did their best, there was nothing else that could have been done to save the plane itself, but the fact that the Japanese government sat on their goddamn hands for 14 hours and let the survivors die just pisses me the fuck off.
I’m glad Tokyo tower gave them permission to speak in their own language. It has to be very difficult during an emergency to speak and communicate in a second language! May all who lost family in this be at peace.
As a FAA licensed aircraft maintenance technician (A&P) I remember my first day of A&P school in 1995. About thirty of us started that day. They showed us a documentary about this flight. At the end, our instructor said how if we screw up, we could face involuntary manslaughter charges or worse, we couldn't face what we caused and commit suicide. He then said: "Your student loans are not fully processed yet. If you think this business is not for you, there is the door. No one will judge you." Seven guys got up and walked out, twenty three of us stayed. I've worked for good and fly by night pax/cargo air carriers. I've always performed my job as if my own family were on the planes I worked on. I've even had my family fly nonrev on planes I worked on that night. It's crappy pay but you don't get into it for the money. You do it because you're passionate about airplanes. It's a rush that can't be described to see an airplane take off after you fixed it.
I am proud to say I appreciate your service and the service of your fellow mechanics. I married a woman from the Netherlands, and I love planes, how they work, how complex they are, it's sheer beauty in mechanical form. I get nervous during takeoff and landing, but I always remind myself that there are passionate people like you and pilots like the ones in this video that want to see me arrive safe. And you have a good record to prove it. My wife and I have two kids. If I had a fear of flying (or couldn't fly at all) this would have never happened. Thanks.
Captain says "hang in there" first officer says "yes sir". Encouraging each other and showing respect for each other in the most horrible of circumstances ! living with honor and dignity to the end. God Bless those brave souls all who lost their lives.
The absolute discipline, valor and bushido these pilots showed is impressive. They fought till the end giving each other encouragement with the co pilot still calling the pilot sir. True hero’s.
First of all, it’s “heroes”, not “hero’s”. Second, this had absolutely nothing to do with bushido. It’s called doing your job because you’re responsible for getting your passengers to their destination safely. The Japanese government’s pride (what you call bushido) is the mentality that kept the survivors from getting the help they needed. These pilots did what they did not out of honor but as human beings.
Firstly correcting my spelling shows what an infantile moron you are. The Japanese culture for thousands of years have instilled a code of honour in their people and especially their pilots. It’s the same honour that meant older workers volunteered to go into Fukushima to do the dangerous work and not the younger workers. Duty, honour country are alien concepts to people like you that’s why you can’t begin understand how these type of men operate.
For me, JAL123 has always been one of the most haunting plane crashes. The number of victims, the dispair and chaos, the incredible bravery the pilots showed in the face of an almost certain death.. They are true heroes in my eyes. I love the way you put this video together, cvr and all. Thank you Allec!
It sure was haunting to watch...incredible attempts to control the plane while not knowing what the problems were must been truly mind boggling. Thanks to Ibay.
The fact that the repairmen in charge actually committed suicide to atone for their mistakes is sad as hell. Prayers to those who met their fate that day
There was a single direct witness of this crush. A young female farmer who worked on the field less than 10 km from the crush site, saw the plane right above her head right before the dive, so close that she though it was crushing on her... She contacted a local police immediately and local enforcements (police and fire departments) didn’t take her seriously... And Japanese military went to the pitch dark mountain rescue mission in completely wrong places... Survivors told Japanese aviation safety board that so many people survived initial crash, but died from their injuries half day later. Because of Boeing was an American corporation, Japanese law enforcement couldn’t prosecute them. One of my family members was on this particular plane A DAY BEFORE. I still remember his face when he learned the plane was missing and most likely crushed. As you can hear, every one (include Yokota base (American military base in Tokyo) and American fighter pilots) tried to somehow help the uncontrollable plane in anyway they could. Yokota even offered Japanese government to conduct their own rescue mission... But Japanese government didn’t take it. In the sky, we are helping each other like there is a superior priority (lives), so that everyone has to be honest and reasonable, but on the ground, there are so many politics and BS that lives aren’t respected or honored.
How very sad to here those pilots fighting hard to save all the lives on the plane tribute to everyone on board I hope the Lord held them in his loving arms R.I.P ☠️😢😢😢
Thats horrible, how is it when they see the urgency & suffering people, aside from politics, we are still human to help each other. understandably JP is full of integrity ppl that they might think the rescue should be done by themselves. But in this case of urgency, its totally unecessary to think in that (their own) way
@@lucassteen4050 Yes, and this 747 still had the vertical stabilizer as well... would've been a pure miracle to stay in the air after losing that. I don't remember which flight that was, but it was a mid-size twin (something like a 757) cargo delivery aircraft.
This flight is always the hardest CVR for me to hear and watch. brings tears to my eyes ( no joke ). The pilots tried so hard to live and at the same time save the 521 people behind them, just by how other professionals in a flight simulator could not do what they did for 32 minutes!!!!! You can tell the horror and agony in there voice. And to see there death directly coming for them in the windscreen. Listening and watching this puts me right in the cockpit with them. The most professional pilots ever!!!! R.I.P. to all 520 and the humanitarian Medal Of Honor for the " 3 " up top front.
Leon Swan The pressure these pilots were under was incredible and the fact that they kept the plane flying for so long is amazing, if only they would have been close to the airport things might have turned out well. Do you think the pilots had any chance at all of a controlled landing, if they were near to the airport runway? It was so disturbing when you hear the Captain finally say "This is the end". Condolences to the families left behind and for the souls lost in the crash and from guilt on land.
@@watershed44 When reviewing this crash i always wonder why they did not try for a ditching in the water close to the coastline. The incident started out when they were over water, try steer south with throttles and somehow get it low with no elevators or rear fin stabilizer electric jackscrew trim. Differential throttle to keep it south over the water and with miracle throttle back and forward up to trim, just enough that the nose lowers to a shallow dive then throttle up to bring the nose up so you dont nose dive into the water. Thats all i could see to allow as much people to survive this.
Wow, what a screwed up way to go. These men probably knew the inevitable but didn't give up. Man, I could feel the panic in their voices. The Japanese are a very proud people and I have to respect their resolve. R.I.P. to all those who perished.
From the Air Crash Investigation episode they so nearly cleared that ridge/crest, they may well have been able to survive crashing on the downward slope beyond, who knows :(
There was a similar air crash in the US. They lost all control and were using the engines to have the same limited control. They were actually able to get it to an airport, but crashed once there. Still, many lived were saved that day. If the mountain wasn't there, I'm certain this crew could have done the same.
As a licenced aircraft mechanic (A&P), this story rips my guts apart and makes me angry too. Sloppy work, improper repair inspection, and failure to reinspect at later dates. As is common with aircraft accidents, it usually takes multiple issues to make a disaster.
Same I am an AMT. It was a good repair but as all repairs they need to be inspected and mainteained. They did not do any follow up inspections. Years later it fails . Nobody should of died that day..
@@MrAcer4 Wrong on one very important point. The repair method carried out by the American Boeing engineers was flat out wrong. They should have been held accountable.
@@evansantos9148 whatever the photo was stored on survived the crash I guess. The camera itself doesn't need to survive, as long as whatever it saved onto survived they can just pop it into something else.
@@EazyDuz18 It is errie if you’re thinking about it, like this photo litterally took the very last momments of the people on the plane before they crashed on the mountain.
It’s honestly heartbreaking that they fought so incredibly hard to keep the plane going (and achieving a longer flight than any of the other four test crews after the fact) only to crash in the end, and that the plane breaking was no fault of their own. They did their best 😔
"Four Flight crews were selected to see whether it was actually possible for the pilots to land the damaged 747, None of the Four crews lasted till 32 minutes like the original crew was able to fly before crashing. "Pilots Real Hero's"
@@grex1242 if the pilots who already know what they are going to face (have been told that the scenario will be the same as flight 123) which means they have excluded the human factor, because they already know what they are facing and have anticipated it before entering into simulations, and even they couldn't last for 32 minutes that means the pilots on flight 123 were doing their best 110% with their adrenaline
It really is a shame the way TH-cam keeps treating your content. You provide amazing videos that your subscribers deeply value and appreciate. As for this flight, it really is a testament to the pilots that they kept her in the air as long as they did. They never stood a chance, but they fought like hell. Godspeed, 123
@@Onionbagel This particular video? Yes. In fact, Allec has had to reupload several videos in the past. It's ashame that TH-cam continues to delete his work.
Anyone wanna raise petitions to protect Allec's vids and flag MyFlightChannel and XPilot's videos for copyright? Those douches became the culprit of why Allec's videos being taken down because YT mistakenly thought that Allec was copying MyFlightChannel and XPilot when the truth is that they're the ones copying Allec's style. Allec's videos will always be the real deal!! So let's step up and save Allec's channel from those Knockoffs. #ForAllec #SaveAllecsACIFS9Videos
The pilots manage to keep the plane in the air for close to an hour with an uncontrollable plane May they rest in heaven I hope they get some kind of heroic medal in heaven They did there best
No, they were not. Very Poor CRM, no awareness, lack of judgement and basic piloting skills, not following company procedures, lilt reapplication of basic aerodynamics known to all pilots. The pilots and ATC let down those passengers and they all dies as a consequence. This accident is now used in pilot training to show how not to do things.
There were actually more survivors but because of the delays of the rescue operation (due to a clash between the japanese and american rescue team), the survivor count was downsized to 4.
@@godess_call Japan thought that the United States might shoot down an airplane first. Therefore Japan declined help of America and did not trust it adversely. The point that they showed was correct but the point that the government announced was an error. I think that there were many survivors if the government asks for help to the United States.
@@hirotoshikita9850 USAF rescue helicopters were actually first to get there but were told to go home by the JSDF. The crews protested, but ultimately obeyed orders, as they were promised the JSDF was en route. Unfortunately, the JSDF took forever and many died from exposure.
When he said “hey there’s a mountain nearby” gave me the chills the fact that you can fly a plane with no rear wing for 20 minutes is more than a miracle.
This disaster always haunts me. They tried so hard to save the plane. Captain Takahama and crew worked so well together. What a shame that people got on here not realizing it was their last day. I wish it turned out different. I hear the shrine on the mountain that is dedicated to them is lovely. ❤️
All 3 of those pilots should be in whatever Aviation Hall of Fame there is in Japan, or anywhere. They kept that plane aloft longer than anyone could have thought possible. What they did equals Sully's Miracle; had there been an airport closer, they might have landed it. What a terrible shame. God rest the souls of all the dead. Allec, thank you for a great vid. You honor all aboard that plane with your fine work... †
Yeah, flying without a vertical stabilizer is really hard. I think there was anAmerican Airline crash that lost its vertical stabilizer and it went into a nose dive and crash
man compared to this Sullys plane was in excellent condition this was just a matter of time to death no controlls in any axis stuck in the mountain chain and using power to controll the plane this is just crazy as it sounds could not be better excellent Japanese pilots! RIP
Well done. I was visiting Japan when the crash occurred. The entire country was in shock when the disaster was announced. It dominated TV news for days. To this day, I have never heard an adequate explanation of why rescue teams were not sent out immediately after the crash. They were not sent out until daylight. People died as a result. Why?
I think it was because they figured that no one could have possibly survived crashing into a mountain at 500MPH, and the mission would be mainly to recover bodies. So they didn't want to risk their own mens' lives to recover the dead immediately.
Because they refused American help. A C130 pilot spotted it and our Marines went out to help immediately, even rappelling down to the crash site when they were told no thanks. They had to leave. Imagine their frustration!! One Japanese helo found it hours later in the dark and said no survivors which was totally untrue. They went 39 miles away and staged there til morning. That’s when they found the four surviving people who said there were many more, crying and moaning through the night and died because of no help. They could have been saved. Pride is a useless thing. That’s why it’s at the top of the deadly sins.
This is by far my favorite video of yours, and I've seen them all. It has the actual audio recording. The beeping makes it so intense. The pilots did not want to die and did everything to not crash. This is the worst airplane disaster ever if you don't include tenerife which happened on the ground.
@Les 1000% agreed, the intensity of this video is literally painful, but you can't stop watching because you literally want to will the pilots to succeed in making at least a partially controlled landing! They were so close to a miracle! Leon Swan mentioned that if the pilots could have made a gradual somewhat controlled ditching in the ocean more folks could have survived, but nothing against the pilots actions they had no clue what they were really dealing with and the fact that kept the play flying as long as they did was a miracle in and of itself.
I agree but can't help wondering if the constant beeping doesn't create a physical response that is deleterious to concentration. I worked in similar environment where management thought the beeping would improve our response but we showed statically it was strongly negative. 32 minutes would make me crazy.
@Naomi Curtis 100% agreed. That is EXTREMELY distracting, and adds stress too. They should have that sound be manually silenced and then have it reappear after so many minutes and be also to be manually silenced again at the push of a button or two. I agree it would break my concentration.
Im not a engineer but it sounds bad. What does it mean? Im really interessted to know. Where do you use hydraulic pressure? For what and how much is needed?
Cthight On a plane it is used to basically control and activate everything. It activates the primary flight controls (aileron, elevator, rudder), activates flaps, slats, engine thrust reversers, landing gear up and down operation, automatic braking, manual braking and few other stuff. Some of it can be operated by backup systems if the primary system fails. But, if your backup system are hydraulic too, well, you can figure that out yourself I guess...
Well that was grim. I was really hoping they'd survive it (obviously) and at some points it looked like they would. To fly that long with the vertical stabiliser missing is nothing short of amazing.
Cal They were miracle workers. If only they would have been closer to an airport, they might have actually landed with more survivors. It's incredible that four people survived!
Remember those guys who caused the rudder to break off over Queens in 2001, soon after 9-11? Same sort of damage. And that plane went straight to the ground. JAL 123 lasted 32 minutes. Amazing...
gael crane One of the better posters here Leon Swan has stated that if they had remained over water and been able to continue to keep the cycle going the pilots MIGHT have been able to make a somewhat controlled ditching in ocean and more folks might have survived, I believe if they would have been closer to the main airports they would have ditched in the ocean too. Those pilots deserved a medal for keeping things going so long. Circumstances the pilots couldn't control could have easily allowed them to have less or more survivors.
For those talking bad about the suicides, remember that Japanese culture is very different to Western culture. The maintenance manager and inspector effectively committed seppuku in atonememt for what they perceived to be their mistakes. It is an admission of guilt, shame and shortcoming and an honourable path of redemption. It has been this way since the age of the samurai.
One of the only people to survive this crash was a young 12-year-old girl. Imagine: The year is 1985. You're 12 years old. It's summer vacation. Your parents tell you you're going to visit grandma and grandpa in the next state over, and you're going to fly there on a jumbo jet! You pull up to the airport, staring in awe at the massive, double-decker plane you'll be traveling on. You rush through the terminals, your parents repeatedly pestering you to move faster. You get to the gate right on time, and board the plane. You start to lift off, getting that weird feeling in your tummy as you watch the ground fall further and further away. Now you're sitting, slightly bored, waiting for the flight attendant to say you can take your seatbelt off so you can grab your walkman from the overhead bin and listen to some music. Then, you feel a jolt. You hear a hiss and a few screams. The cabin fills with haze. Yellow oxygen masks deploy from the ceiling. You struggle to get yours on, panicking. You look to your mother, who is sitting bolt upright, trying to keep calm. But you can tell. This is bad. You hug her tightly for what feels like forever. Then, you feel like you're dropping. Down, down, down. You feel like you're falling out of the sky. You hug your mother even tighter, absolutely sure you are going to die today. Then, you wake up. The ground is hard. It's cold. You're freezing. And you realize. Searing pain, all throughout your body. You open your eyes, and look down at your hands. They are marred with fresh burns and covered in blood. You touch your face. It hurts even worse. More blood. Where are your parents? You look around, and see nothing but trees with jewels of frozen droplets as decor. It's dark. Then, you hear something in the distance. A helicopter shines a spotlight a few hundred yards to your left, stirring the underbrush around you, and you feel momentary relief as you realize you're saved. But then the helicopter turns off and flies away. You begin to cry, thinking that you will now freeze to death rather than merely dying on impact, and even if you do survive, you'll be horribly disfigured for life. The pain is too much, and you're exhausted. You want so badly to go to sleep. You pass out. You come to a few days later, in a hospital bed. You can't speak, because there's a tube down your throat. Eventually, a nurse comes in. Then a doctor. They tell you that you've been in a plane crash, and are one of just a lucky few to survive. The tube comes out. You ask about your parents. The nurse shakes her head sadly and tells you that they are dead. You're an orphan. And you have weeks of recovery ahead of you, maybe even months. And now you have to bear this trauma for the rest of your life.
@@chemicalbrucey157 Not sure if that's how it works. Such people might be strong in some ways but also absolutely insensitive in other ways. They are likely able to relatively calmly watch a person die, for instance. Not sure if that's a good thing.
Damn, when he said “this is the end” it sent chills all down my back. This was definitely one of the most touching videos I’ve seen recently. The crew really did try. a lot of knowledge going into work here. I can only imagine how stressed the FO was, let alone everyone else. I’m surprised that anyone survived. I’m really curious as to how they did. Even if rescue had to take time to get to them, how do you survive this? The maintenance manager also killed himself to apologize for this, wow. I can’t imagine how he felt. Honestly because of your videos, I’ve developed some kind of feeling that is hard to explain, but basically I have a strong urge to be in this exact situation, just so I can take in the thoughts and feelings that people have right before their plane crashes. It would suck to die that way, and I don’t want to, but it’s really a weird feeling that I think a lot of families members who’ve lost someone in a planet crash, experience also. Almost as if it gives them justice to know just how scared or emotional their loved one was. It’s not knowing how they felt in the final moments that bring out this curiosity.
I’m also really morbidly curious of how it would feel to be on a plane falling towards the ground. But my god, I can only imagine how horrible and terrifying it really is, I would not want the knowledge of knowing my family member went through the horror of dying in an airplane crash.
I am more surprised by the fact that many people survived right after the crash (according to testimony of a survivor). It means, the pilots did their job very well, way above expectations.
I wonder how the captain couldn’t take over the controls though? Was the captain better served thinking how they could save the situation maybe he was doing some calculations in scribe? The FO was a trainee and surely was in over his head to manage composure. Anyone got an explanation for that?
No matter how many times you reupload flight 123, I always have the tendency to watch. How determined the pilots are to land the plane safely. They've do anything they can without fail. Truly heroes. However the sadness is real 😢
This is by far the saddest of all air crash videos, the Crew never gave up. They kept trying to win an impossible battle. Allec you do an excellent job on all your videos. You are a fine young man and I commend you for your talents and patience in making these and doing the research into them.
Can't believe they took your original video down. The word heroism is overused but the crew on this flight were heroes in the truest sense. Keep doing what you do Allec, love your channel.
This was one of the most depressing ones Ive watched; I need a couple of shots now, damn. Those poor guys were doomed once that vertical tail broke off. Those pilots were heros though; they hung in there till the bitter end, this was awful......this reminds me a little bit of Alaska 261 where the pilots never gave up, they fought till the bitter end.
@@doctorTF_2 The difference is TWA didn't have a flight crew at the end. Yes it would have been terrifying for the passengers but in this case, you has three men flying a dead airplane that they had no real hope of landing in one piece. BUT no pilot would give up. Even pilots who get locked out of the cockpit, don't give up trying. Like US Navy Seal Marcus Luttrell said, "You don't quit until you're dead."
The best I've seen yet. The real time cockpit recordings, photos, and excellent captions and graphics made the difference. I almost felt as if I was there.
This captain was a hero. He managed to fly this aircraft without its tail, minimum hydraulic system left for 45 minutes. Listen to the real cockpit audio! With all the alarms and screams, chilling.
In hindsight, the airlines assigned the right Captain to train the soon to be Captain. How they stayed in the air as long as they did shows the skill of the Captain.
Couldnt they have gain control of the plane by moving the passengers back or forward as needed???I saw another video of the same that happening to another flight,and that pilot saved them all by moving the passengers to level the plane.This flight had plenty of them,and it doesnt take many to level the plane.
@@stvandy1 it worked for the other pilot.So,you think that lifting the passenger from their seats and moving them to either direcction as needed,,747 have plenty of walking room,it wouldn't level the plane????They could also use the cargo holds.I would try anything before giving up,I've been in thight situations before,and here I am.
@@josesantossanchezgonzales7731 the plane had an explosive decompression at cruising altitude---over 30,000 feet. The passengers were wearing the oxygen masks that drop from the overhead panels. They're attached to a central oxygen supply and fixed in place. You have less than a minute to put that mask on before you become unconscious. They would have died before the plane reached an altitude that would have supported life without oxygen masks. That's number one. Number two, have you ever been on an airliner? Do you have any idea how narrow those aisles are? They're just wide enough for the food carts. There's no room for 500+ people to get up and move around all at once. Yours are among the stupidest comments I've ever seen on an air disaster page.
@@mikeprevost8650 Yes,you are right,but not for long,I'm pretty sure they didn't need them when they crashed.Well,just tell me one thing.If they would have gotten up and try to balance the plane,you think it would have worked!????
This one out of all the ones I’ve seen is the saddest. I’m legit in tears right now, crying for 500+ people I never met and their loved ones. The pilots were truly brave. RIP to all who lost their lives in this tragedy 😢
I can't imagine something happening like this in such a huge machine carrying over 500 people. Talk about an immense sense of responsibility. May they all rest in peace as this must've been a horrific way to die
john smith I have, but that was a fairly quick crash, whereas this one took about 20 mins which means 20 mins of panic I believe more people in Tenerife died but this is still the single greatest loss of life in midair. Tenerife was obviously the greatest loss of life involving a place, period. Even though there was 2 planes involved in that one.
The Captain and crew are heroes. I honor their memory. Many people survived this crash only to succumb to the elements. The lack of deployment of rescue crews that night is inexplicable and unforgivable . These souls deserved better
I remember this one from my childhood. Those pilots reminded me of the stories from WW2 of pilots keeping their shattered bombers aloft until the crew could bail. These pilots fought it until the very end, and did all they could. IIRC, Japan hailed them as heroes after the investigation was complete.
If I recall correctly, this captain had done pioneering work in using asymmetrical thrust settings for steering control in just such an emergency, prior to this flight. He fought heroically. In hindsight, I wonder if their best course of action would have been to request a heading out over the ocean and attempt to ditch at sea. May they all rest in peace.
6omega2 ditching at sea would be just as catastrophic because they could not fly the plane with the yoke. This would make safe ditching near impossible
john smith yes, I wondered if they had gone to Nagoya they’d have a better outcome; but then if the plane was uncontrollable they wouldn’t have been able to do anything. So sad. I remember when this happened, I had a Japanese friend staying with me/my family.
The Gimli Glider had a similar situation, one of the designers of that aircraft type was on board and was able to suggest things. The pilot was also a trained glider pilot so knew more about bringing down an unpowered aircraft that most. They also crashed near a motor racing meeting that had fire extinguishers and (fortunately not required) ambulances on hand. That really was a day when everything went right.
The fact that recovered actual photos of the cabin before the accident is not short of amazing. I actually thought they all or most of them survived...it is truly sad most of them did pass away. 😥
@@mdd1963 --- What he probably meant, and what you should have deducted was that he saw the photo and at first blush it appeared POST crash. thus yes, most would have survived according to that photo. I sure thought that when i saw it. I had no idea it was taken during the emergency as those types photos are extraordinarily rare.
@@LiveWildandFree37 You do not know what anyone meant, but are free to speculate; however, I have zero interest in what *you* think I should have 'deducted', ...not to be confused with 'deduced'....; right?
Regarding the Japanese Flight 123, it is very sad that the 2 company executives committed suicide as a way of saying they were sorry for what happended. I find that extremely moving.
They fought like hell for an uncontrollable situation and managed to survive for 32 minutes in flight.They weren’t afraid to try all the possibilities and some worked.5 star pilots right there
Extremely intense video...I was on the edge of my desk chair....I can only imagine how the Pilots and passengers felt. Allec, you do a outstanding job of not only showing “what happened “, but also “why?”. Thank you for that.
This brings a tear to my eye. These pilots did everything right. They kept it in the air under pressure that other pilots couldn't do in the safety of a simulator. Not all heros have a good outcome . God bless these heros
I am sure someone has already mentioned this, but just in case, one of the passengers who died on JAL123 was Japanese singer Kyu Sakamoto , whose “Sukiyaki” reached number one in the US in the 60’s. I remember listening to it on the school bus ride. It is a very sad and powerful song and it somehow seems to fit this circumstance. Also, regarding this flight, it stayed airborne about 30 minutes before crashing, and afforded some passengers time to write their goodbyes to their loved ones. Here is “Sukiyaki”: th-cam.com/video/C35DrtPlUbc/w-d-xo.html (This might make you cry).
Alec, thank you for this. Sometimes you watch a video clip of tragedy or where people are imperiled and you watch it with a distance, far removed from the horror and immediacy of the unfolding situation. However, I am haunted evermore by the brave, steadfast, frantic, and, alas, inevitably futile, attempts to control the uncontrollable: Captian Takahama, Officer Sasaki, Engineer Fukada are heroes that are cemented for all time into the goodwill fabric of eternity. Sobering when the Captain calls out in resignation: "It's the end." It reminds us that so it will be for all of us.
As I was watching I could hardly believe the aircraft did not roll over and plunge. No vertical stabilizer, no hydraulics.... Fantastic flying to the last instant.
Big ups to the pilots huge respect for trying their best. All aviation enthusiasts knows what happens when your tail/rudder breaks off Edit: hearing the captain say this is the end has me teary eyed 😭😭😭
Its only Takahama’s jaw and some teeth, but yeah... his doughter followed his footsteps, even the sons of the FO and flight engineer became pilots like their fallen fathers.
@R M Is there any other possibilities? For example, the captain's body was eaten by wild animals living in the forest of the mountain, since the rescue took some time.
@@sr3821 No. No animal would’ve ever go near the crash site, especially the smell of feul would be sensitive to any animal’s noses, but I don’t think there are any native animals on the mountain. Anyone who was at the front of the plane when it crashed at such a high speed would’ve been disintegrated to almost nothing.
They fought hard to the very end. Much respect to them. So sorry for those who lost their lives & to the families left to carry on. The guilt had to be horrible for those responsible for the repairs. Such a tragedy. I cried.
When I went to flight school, the instructor told me that whatever goes wrong, you NEVER EVER stop flying the plane. RIP to the people who lost their lives in the crash.
And walking in pitch darkness, holding your guts in, with only one arm as the other was twisted off, while hearing the low ringing of brain damage, letting out a moan of horrible pain shooting through your entire body, you can't think, and the feeling that your life is over seeps in. Absolutely horrible. Rest in peace, all 520 passengers and the pilots, who were truest of heroes.
I watch this every time it comes up . It’s heart wrenching . The crew will always be remembered as selfless and courageous. They fought so hard. Sincere condolences to all .
When he said it’s the end I started tearing up I can’t handle this, This is sad They didn’t even have time to get the evacuation okay I need to stop being emotional 😭 May they all Rest In Peace 💔
The response of the Japanese government also did little to help the immediate aftermath. According to sources I’ve read the planes crash was spotted by US Army personnel who offered their assistance immediately as the location of the crash was remote and difficult to access. The Japanese government didn’t accept the help and the first rescue crews didn’t get to the crash site until hours after the initial impact. More people could have survived if response had been more prompt.
I really enjoy Mr Joshua,'s reconstructions. Very true to form and chocked full of details. Texts are good, readable. I love them so continue the good presentations.
The Pilots Bravery is astounding. They saved 4 lives. And every life saved here is a miracle. That’s 4 miracles. Whats even more tragic is that 2 people committed suicide after blaming themselves. It hurts knowing the authorities Didn't send out the rescue team until the following morning. They could have saved more people. And then they also Denied US assistance which makes no sense. Why didn't the plane do a landing at Nagoya??One of the most harrowing incidents I’ve ever heard of. God. And those final words. I’ll never forget this. I pray for the lost, for the relatives of the lost, and that another incident like this never happens again.
Your video did not mention the saddest part of this disaster. The crash was spotted 20 minutes after it happened by a US Airforce C-130 who went looking for it, and US Marine medics and rescue personnel were quickly staged from the nearby base and set to repel down from helicopters to the crash site. Inexplicably, the Japanese government refused to let them go help. A Japanese helicopter eventually found the crash site after dark, and from the air declared that there were no survivors. They then staged 39 miles away and waited till morning to even go to the crash site. It was later found out that many people died overnight from injuries they would have survived if they had of had medical attention. One of the 4 survivors said there were many people moaning and crying throughout the night but all these cries eventually faded away and until it was silent.
HORRIBLE !!!!
THIS is what makes me break. The crew did their best, there was nothing else that could have been done to save the plane itself, but the fact that the Japanese government sat on their goddamn hands for 14 hours and let the survivors die just pisses me the fuck off.
PROUD to be American 💪
Maybe it’s all part of agenda 21?
@Kermit Da Frog Oof only an American is stupid enough to say something like that in the comments for a video like this.
I’m glad Tokyo tower gave them permission to speak in their own language. It has to be very difficult during an emergency to speak and communicate in a second language!
May all who lost family in this be at peace.
100 like
Kevin Tucker Well said.
Dont like IT IT is at 123 Lets keep IT lije that
2:30-38. I'm amazed that they can hear each other! What little I could get actually sounded English.
あなたは絶対に正しいです!
As a FAA licensed aircraft maintenance technician (A&P) I remember my first day of A&P school in 1995. About thirty of us started that day. They showed us a documentary about this flight. At the end, our instructor said how if we screw up, we could face involuntary manslaughter charges or worse, we couldn't face what we caused and commit suicide. He then said: "Your student loans are not fully processed yet. If you think this business is not for you, there is the door. No one will judge you." Seven guys got up and walked out, twenty three of us stayed.
I've worked for good and fly by night pax/cargo air carriers. I've always performed my job as if my own family were on the planes I worked on. I've even had my family fly nonrev on planes I worked on that night. It's crappy pay but you don't get into it for the money. You do it because you're passionate about airplanes. It's a rush that can't be described to see an airplane take off after you fixed it.
EarthWatcher Us travelers really appreciate what you guys do. Your professionalism and attention to detail keeps us all safe. Thank you.
I am proud to say I appreciate your service and the service of your fellow mechanics. I married a woman from the Netherlands, and I love planes, how they work, how complex they are, it's sheer beauty in mechanical form. I get nervous during takeoff and landing, but I always remind myself that there are passionate people like you and pilots like the ones in this video that want to see me arrive safe. And you have a good record to prove it. My wife and I have two kids. If I had a fear of flying (or couldn't fly at all) this would have never happened. Thanks.
Should never be “crappy pay”. These are skilled jobs with huge responsibility.
EarthWatcher Bless you.
Be safe as always
I will pray for your safety as this job is not a joke
You must hve that burning dedication and bravery to do this job
Captain says "hang in there" first officer says "yes sir". Encouraging each other and showing respect for each other in the most horrible of circumstances ! living with honor and dignity to the end. God Bless those brave souls all who lost their lives.
What exactly does your Imaginary God bless..?
@@jupitorious7925 I am jealous. You have to be verry happy with empty head..
@@Anna-ym5mh good luck you obviously know something I don't
@@jupitorious7925 yea.. we know how to actually respect other people's beliefs
Brave indeed. Awe inspiring. Well trained. Well disciplined.
The absolute discipline, valor and bushido these pilots showed is impressive. They fought till the end giving each other encouragement with the co pilot still calling the pilot sir. True hero’s.
First of all, it’s “heroes”, not “hero’s”. Second, this had absolutely nothing to do with bushido. It’s called doing your job because you’re responsible for getting your passengers to their destination safely. The Japanese government’s pride (what you call bushido) is the mentality that kept the survivors from getting the help they needed. These pilots did what they did not out of honor but as human beings.
@@michaelcs4183 chill
@@PAVLOS2000 The guy made a dumb observation. When someone says something that's both stupid AND racist, it should be addressed.
Firstly correcting my spelling shows what an infantile moron you are. The Japanese culture for thousands of years have instilled a code of honour in their people and especially their pilots. It’s the same honour that meant older workers volunteered to go into Fukushima to do the dangerous work and not the younger workers. Duty, honour country are alien concepts to people like you that’s why you can’t begin understand how these type of men operate.
if they were actually disciplined they wouldve donned their oxygen masks in the first 5 seconds of losing cabin pressure
For me, JAL123 has always been one of the most haunting plane crashes. The number of victims, the dispair and chaos, the incredible bravery the pilots showed in the face of an almost certain death.. They are true heroes in my eyes. I love the way you put this video together, cvr and all. Thank you Allec!
Dispair notwithstanding.
Agreed. This one is the most haunting to me.
I am just shocked how four managed to survive a plane crashing upside down
It sure was haunting to watch...incredible attempts to control the plane while not knowing what the problems were must been truly mind boggling. Thanks to Ibay.
Michael Benitez plane’s strongest around the part where the wings meet the frame. Sitting close or in that spot could be a life saver I imagine.
not going lie when he said 'this is the end" i shed a tear
I think he says Mo dame da.......it is better translated with |"thats it or fuck it"
they would have gone into shock after that
Jon A : Me too
My heart sank when he said that.
Me too!
The fact that the repairmen in charge actually committed suicide to atone for their mistakes is sad as hell. Prayers to those who met their fate that day
Did he really?
Mehra Ahsan yes. It mentions it at the end.
@@quickcar5255 must feel powerful behind that keyboard
@@painfullyhuman people need to be held accountable.
Shame is a very heavy burden in Japanese culture.
There was a single direct witness of this crush. A young female farmer who worked on the field less than 10 km from the crush site, saw the plane right above her head right before the dive, so close that she though it was crushing on her... She contacted a local police immediately and local enforcements (police and fire departments) didn’t take her seriously... And Japanese military went to the pitch dark mountain rescue mission in completely wrong places... Survivors told Japanese aviation safety board that so many people survived initial crash, but died from their injuries half day later. Because of Boeing was an American corporation, Japanese law enforcement couldn’t prosecute them.
One of my family members was on this particular plane A DAY BEFORE. I still remember his face when he learned the plane was missing and most likely crushed.
As you can hear, every one (include Yokota base (American military base in Tokyo) and American fighter pilots) tried to somehow help the uncontrollable plane in anyway they could. Yokota even offered Japanese government to conduct their own rescue mission... But Japanese government didn’t take it.
In the sky, we are helping each other like there is a superior priority (lives), so that everyone has to be honest and reasonable, but on the ground, there are so many politics and BS that lives aren’t respected or honored.
How very sad to here those pilots fighting hard to save all the lives on the plane tribute to everyone on board I hope the Lord held them in his loving arms R.I.P ☠️😢😢😢
Thats horrible, how is it when they see the urgency & suffering people, aside from politics,
we are still human to help each other. understandably JP is full of integrity ppl that they might think the rescue should be done by themselves.
But in this case of urgency, its totally unecessary to think in that (their own) way
crash not crush
Once they said 'Uncontrollable' they knew they couldn't do anything, but they kept fighting it... this is the most heartbreaking thing
Well, there _was_ a case of a 737 with full loss of hydraulics and left wing on fire landing in Vegas using ONLY differential thrust for steering.
@@suzukirider9030 but that plane had the vertical stabilizer, right? Which plane was it by The Way?
@@lucassteen4050 Yes, and this 747 still had the vertical stabilizer as well... would've been a pure miracle to stay in the air after losing that.
I don't remember which flight that was, but it was a mid-size twin (something like a 757) cargo delivery aircraft.
@@suzukirider9030 nope, the Jal 123 lost major parts of it.
The pressure from the cabin bursted through the bulkhead and ripped of major portions of it, as Well as hydraulic lines.
This flight is always the hardest CVR for me to hear and watch. brings tears to my eyes ( no joke ). The pilots tried so hard to live and at the same time save the 521 people behind them, just by how other professionals in a flight simulator could not do what they did for 32 minutes!!!!! You can tell the horror and agony in there voice. And to see there death directly coming for them in the windscreen.
Listening and watching this puts me right in the cockpit with them. The most professional pilots ever!!!!
R.I.P. to all 520 and the humanitarian Medal Of Honor for the " 3 " up top front.
Leon Swan
The pressure these pilots were under was incredible and the fact that they kept the plane flying for so long is amazing, if only they would have been close to the airport things might have turned out well. Do you think the pilots had any chance at all of a controlled landing, if they were near to the airport runway? It was so disturbing when you hear the Captain finally say "This is the end". Condolences to the families left behind and for the souls lost in the crash and from guilt on land.
@@watershed44 When reviewing this crash i always wonder why they did not try for a ditching in the water close to the coastline. The incident started out when they were over water, try steer south with throttles and somehow get it low with no elevators or rear fin stabilizer electric jackscrew trim. Differential throttle to keep it south over the water and with miracle throttle back and forward up to trim, just enough that the nose lowers to a shallow dive then throttle up to bring the nose up so you dont nose dive into the water. Thats all i could see to allow as much people to survive this.
Leon Swan
Thanks again for your amazingly insightful answers. I wish that Allec would pin your comments to the top, they belong there!
Indeed the saddest one 😟
Leon Swan are you an army aviator?
Wow, what a screwed up way to go. These men probably knew the inevitable but didn't give up. Man, I could feel the panic in their voices. The Japanese are a very proud people and I have to respect their resolve. R.I.P. to all those who perished.
Totally agree. I'm American and have been to Asia five times, I believe the most in the Japanese.
they are very honorable
@SPIRIT DOT completely unnecessary and in very poor taste on so many levels.
@SPIRIT DOT dude wtf...
RIP to the 23 million+ Chinese that the Japanese slaughtered during WW2. Unit 731..
That co pilot was very obedient and humble sounding in the face of death
He was so close to becoming a captain himself. Imagine how excited he was before this last flight which ended up killing him
Inhumanly focused in the middle of a flying disaster.
@@Eisenbison Getting killed by the career that you loved so much is very fucked up... Steve Irwin feels this co-pilot’s pain
@@firemangan2731 atleast he died doing something he loved
@Rafael Enriquez Bodies are weird things, people can survive shit that experts deem impossible to survive in certain cases
Those pilots fought so hard...this is just devastating...
It never ends well when you here that infamous voice “pull up...pull up...pull up”. Sad
the sink rate alarm is what gives me goosebumps, soon as you hear that you know they are dropping and have lost control.
Sad......
How about when you hear traffic.
Hear**
Particularly disturbing in this case.
The crew fought gravity like tigers. Nothing more to say.
From the Air Crash Investigation episode they so nearly cleared that ridge/crest, they may well have been able to survive crashing on the downward slope beyond, who knows :(
Some of the most remarkable flying ever.
30 terrifying minutes
There was a similar air crash in the US. They lost all control and were using the engines to have the same limited control. They were actually able to get it to an airport, but crashed once there. Still, many lived were saved that day. If the mountain wasn't there, I'm certain this crew could have done the same.
They should not have put the flaps up so early
As a licenced aircraft mechanic (A&P), this story rips my guts apart and makes me angry too. Sloppy work, improper repair inspection, and failure to reinspect at later dates. As is common with aircraft accidents, it usually takes multiple issues to make a disaster.
Vintage Everyday it always takes multiple things for a disaster unfortunately.
I don't blame the mechanic or inspector. I blame Boeing. it was their engineers that did the awful repair job.
@@GiordanDiodato As in the 737 Max disaster Boeing screwed up yet none of their staff will face jail time for mass murder.
Same I am an AMT. It was a good repair but as all repairs they need to be inspected and mainteained. They did not do any follow up inspections. Years later it fails . Nobody should of died that day..
@@MrAcer4 Wrong on one very important point. The repair method carried out by the American Boeing engineers was flat out wrong. They should have been held accountable.
That photo a passenger took during the emergency is truly eerie.
How was the photo even recovered given that the plane was in pieces after impact?
@@evansantos9148 whatever the photo was stored on survived the crash I guess. The camera itself doesn't need to survive, as long as whatever it saved onto survived they can just pop it into something else.
@@evansantos9148 Guess they found it in the wreckage.
its not at all
@@EazyDuz18 It is errie if you’re thinking about it, like this photo litterally took the very last momments of the people on the plane before they crashed on the mountain.
It’s honestly heartbreaking that they fought so incredibly hard to keep the plane going (and achieving a longer flight than any of the other four test crews after the fact) only to crash in the end, and that the plane breaking was no fault of their own. They did their best 😔
"Four Flight crews were selected to see whether it was actually possible for the pilots to land the damaged 747, None of the Four crews lasted till 32 minutes like the original crew was able to fly before crashing.
"Pilots Real Hero's"
"Flying" a simulator is not the same as flying an actual aircraft.
@@grex1242 if the pilots who already know what they are going to face (have been told that the scenario will be the same as flight 123) which means they have excluded the human factor, because they already know what they are facing and have anticipated it before entering into simulations, and even they couldn't last for 32 minutes that means the pilots on flight 123 were doing their best 110% with their adrenaline
It really is a shame the way TH-cam keeps treating your content. You provide amazing videos that your subscribers deeply value and appreciate.
As for this flight, it really is a testament to the pilots that they kept her in the air as long as they did. They never stood a chance, but they fought like hell. Godspeed, 123
true samurai
@@pastrybaker72 did youtube take it down or something?
@@Onionbagel This particular video? Yes. In fact, Allec has had to reupload several videos in the past. It's ashame that TH-cam continues to delete his work.
@@pastrybaker72 Maybe they are tired that the first 90 seconds can always be skipped.
Anyone wanna raise petitions to protect Allec's vids and flag MyFlightChannel and XPilot's videos for copyright? Those douches became the culprit of why Allec's videos being taken down because YT mistakenly thought that Allec was copying MyFlightChannel and XPilot when the truth is that they're the ones copying Allec's style. Allec's videos will always be the real deal!!
So let's step up and save Allec's channel from those Knockoffs.
#ForAllec
#SaveAllecsACIFS9Videos
The pilots are heroes. They tried everything until the plane crashed.
As was said by others, no one in a simulator was able to keep the plane in the air as long as they did.
And my son's grandfather's brother was co pilot on that flight
Absolutely heroic.
@@siewpengyew9713 may he rest in peace.
The pilots manage to keep the plane in the air for close to an hour with an uncontrollable plane
May they rest in heaven
I hope they get some kind of heroic medal in heaven
They did there best
Unbelievable how long those men kept that plane in the air! Truly masters at their profession. Rest In Peace knowing you did everything and more.
Those pilots were very brave, and professsional, until the end. JAL lost three great pilots, and Japan lost 520 amazing people.
@Mudd You Know really
How do you know that?
@@rossbrown6641 Probably because this is a well-known incident
@@sr3821 I think what he meant was " how can you know they were all good people ?"
No, they were not. Very Poor CRM, no awareness, lack of judgement and basic piloting skills, not following company procedures, lilt reapplication of basic aerodynamics known to all pilots. The pilots and ATC let down those passengers and they all dies as a consequence. This accident is now used in pilot training to show how not to do things.
18:04 4 PEOPLE SURVIVED? That in of its self was a miracle.
There were actually more survivors but because of the delays of the rescue operation (due to a clash between the japanese and american rescue team), the survivor count was downsized to 4.
@@godess_call Japan thought that the United States might shoot down an airplane first.
Therefore Japan declined help of America and did not trust it adversely.
The point that they showed was correct but the point that the government announced was an error.
I think that there were many survivors if the government asks for help to the United States.
We’re some of the human remains analyzed and recovered?
@@hirotoshikita9850 USAF rescue helicopters were actually first to get there but were told to go home by the JSDF.
The crews protested, but ultimately obeyed orders, as they were promised the JSDF was en route.
Unfortunately, the JSDF took forever and many died from exposure.
@@hirotoshikita9850where in the hell did you get that information?
I'll fly with the Japanese pilots anytime. Some of the best in the business. This was a most heroic, collected effort to save this flight.
As long it's not in a japanese airplane than that's alright.
@@jerrossclarito6119 That was just a joke man 😂. I have nothing but respect for the Japanese plane infrastructure specially nowadays.
They were the best, they sent their best pilots in a simulator and all of them couldnt do it for 1/4 of the time
@@brunopereiraikercasillas6265 Japan doesn't even make any widely used airplanes tho, even their own country's airlines buy Boeing and Airbus.
When he said “hey there’s a mountain nearby” gave me the chills the fact that you can fly a plane with no rear wing for 20 minutes is more than a miracle.
The pilot, co-pilot, first officer and the crew fought for their lives. What a hero.
The pilot says his last words saying (it’s the end) 😢😭😭😢 everytime i hear it I cry
😭
You sound like a woman, grow up
Jesus, it's a regular cryfest here, get a grip on yourselves people.
will Nill it’s a cry fest in the comments, no hate down here
will Nill i dont care!
This disaster always haunts me. They tried so hard to save the plane. Captain Takahama and crew worked so well together. What a shame that people got on here not realizing it was their last day. I wish it turned out different. I hear the shrine on the mountain that is dedicated to them is lovely. ❤️
All 3 of those pilots should be in whatever Aviation Hall of Fame there is in Japan, or anywhere. They kept that plane aloft longer than anyone could have thought possible. What they did equals Sully's Miracle; had there been an airport closer, they might have landed it. What a terrible shame. God rest the souls of all the dead.
Allec, thank you for a great vid. You honor all aboard that plane with your fine work... †
I'd say it's closer to the flying of Flight 96 from 1972, where they lost almost all hydraulics and still landed safely in Windsor, Ontario.
Yeah, flying without a vertical stabilizer is really hard. I think there was anAmerican Airline crash that lost its vertical stabilizer and it went into a nose dive and crash
I completely agree!! Yesss
@@danieldu1026 yeah american 587, pilot error
man compared to this Sullys plane was in excellent condition this was just a matter of time to death no controlls in any axis stuck in the mountain chain and using power to controll the plane this is just crazy as it sounds could not be better excellent Japanese pilots! RIP
Well done. I was visiting Japan when the crash occurred. The entire country was in shock when the disaster was announced. It dominated TV news for days. To this day, I have never heard an adequate explanation of why rescue teams were not sent out immediately after the crash. They were not sent out until daylight. People died as a result. Why?
I think it was because they figured that no one could have possibly survived crashing into a mountain at 500MPH, and the mission would be mainly to recover bodies. So they didn't want to risk their own mens' lives to recover the dead immediately.
Because they refused American help. A C130 pilot spotted it and our Marines went out to help immediately, even rappelling down to the crash site when they were told no thanks. They had to leave. Imagine their frustration!! One Japanese helo found it hours later in the dark and said no survivors which was totally untrue. They went 39 miles away and staged there til morning. That’s when they found the four surviving people who said there were many more, crying and moaning through the night and died because of no help. They could have been saved.
Pride is a useless thing. That’s why it’s at the top of the deadly sins.
What’s wild to me is how 2 people from the same family managed to both survive. They must’ve had some lucky seats
This is by far my favorite video of yours, and I've seen them all. It has the actual audio recording. The beeping makes it so intense. The pilots did not want to die and did everything to not crash. This is the worst airplane disaster ever if you don't include tenerife which happened on the ground.
@Les
1000% agreed, the intensity of this video is literally painful, but you can't stop watching because you literally want to will the pilots to succeed in making at least a partially controlled landing! They were so close to a miracle! Leon Swan mentioned that if the pilots could have made a gradual somewhat controlled ditching in the ocean more folks could have survived, but nothing against the pilots actions they had no clue what they were really dealing with and the fact that kept the play flying as long as they did was a miracle in and of itself.
I agree but can't help wondering if the constant beeping doesn't create a physical response that is deleterious to concentration. I worked in similar environment where management thought the beeping would improve our response but we showed statically it was strongly negative. 32 minutes would make me crazy.
@Naomi Curtis
100% agreed. That is EXTREMELY distracting, and adds stress too.
They should have that sound be manually silenced and then have it reappear after so many minutes and be also to be manually silenced again at the push of a button or two. I agree it would break my concentration.
I like this even with the fake sky and airplane. It's not clear what the ground people could do to help. All the crew had time for was "It's the end!"
@Les, since uve seen all of Alec's videos, do u know if he or anyone else did the rugby/Andes crash??
"The hydraulic pressure has all been lost."
Those are words you never want to hear from your flight engineer.
@john smith SINK RATE!!! WHOOP WHOOP PULL UP ........ This are the words you never want to hear from the GPWS
@@ramirezsoud u also dont want to hear a collision imminent from an acas
Im not a engineer but it sounds bad. What does it mean? Im really interessted to know. Where do you use hydraulic pressure? For what and how much is needed?
@@Cthight it means that all hydraulics are lost which means no control of the flaps rudder ailerons and other control systems
Cthight On a plane it is used to basically control and activate everything. It activates the primary flight controls (aileron, elevator, rudder), activates flaps, slats, engine thrust reversers, landing gear up and down operation, automatic braking, manual braking and few other stuff.
Some of it can be operated by backup systems if the primary system fails.
But, if your backup system are hydraulic too, well, you can figure that out yourself I guess...
Well that was grim. I was really hoping they'd survive it (obviously) and at some points it looked like they would. To fly that long with the vertical stabiliser missing is nothing short of amazing.
And with no hydraulic pressure.
Cal
They were miracle workers. If only they would have been closer to an airport, they might have actually landed with more survivors. It's incredible that four people survived!
Remember those guys who caused the rudder to break off over Queens in 2001, soon after 9-11? Same sort of damage. And that plane went straight to the ground. JAL 123 lasted 32 minutes. Amazing...
Cal the pilots, flying that long, knowing they were most likely going to die had to be the most horrific thing they’ve ever experienced.
gael crane
One of the better posters here Leon Swan has stated that if they had remained over water and been able to continue to keep the cycle going the pilots MIGHT have been able to make a somewhat controlled ditching in ocean and more folks might have survived, I believe if they would have been closer to the main airports they would have ditched in the ocean too. Those pilots deserved a medal for keeping things going so long. Circumstances the pilots couldn't control could have easily allowed them to have less or more survivors.
The Japanese are a proud people. I was in the Air Force and was lucky to meet some of them. Rest in peace to your fellow countrymen. Great Pilots
For those talking bad about the suicides, remember that Japanese culture is very different to Western culture. The maintenance manager and inspector effectively committed seppuku in atonememt for what they perceived to be their mistakes. It is an admission of guilt, shame and shortcoming and an honourable path of redemption. It has been this way since the age of the samurai.
Very respectable
Yes awkward businessmen buying used panties from a vending machine sure is just like the Samurai.
@@Connection-Lost You have some serious issues.
you're an IDIOT! Have no respect for other cultures! No wonder you're "connection lost" no one wants to deal with you!
For sure. Americans would have went and had a beer and forgotten about all 500 plus lost souls in about a week.
One of the only people to survive this crash was a young 12-year-old girl.
Imagine: The year is 1985. You're 12 years old. It's summer vacation. Your parents tell you you're going to visit grandma and grandpa in the next state over, and you're going to fly there on a jumbo jet! You pull up to the airport, staring in awe at the massive, double-decker plane you'll be traveling on. You rush through the terminals, your parents repeatedly pestering you to move faster. You get to the gate right on time, and board the plane. You start to lift off, getting that weird feeling in your tummy as you watch the ground fall further and further away. Now you're sitting, slightly bored, waiting for the flight attendant to say you can take your seatbelt off so you can grab your walkman from the overhead bin and listen to some music.
Then, you feel a jolt. You hear a hiss and a few screams. The cabin fills with haze. Yellow oxygen masks deploy from the ceiling. You struggle to get yours on, panicking. You look to your mother, who is sitting bolt upright, trying to keep calm. But you can tell. This is bad. You hug her tightly for what feels like forever. Then, you feel like you're dropping. Down, down, down. You feel like you're falling out of the sky. You hug your mother even tighter, absolutely sure you are going to die today.
Then, you wake up. The ground is hard. It's cold. You're freezing. And you realize. Searing pain, all throughout your body. You open your eyes, and look down at your hands. They are marred with fresh burns and covered in blood. You touch your face. It hurts even worse. More blood. Where are your parents? You look around, and see nothing but trees with jewels of frozen droplets as decor. It's dark. Then, you hear something in the distance. A helicopter shines a spotlight a few hundred yards to your left, stirring the underbrush around you, and you feel momentary relief as you realize you're saved. But then the helicopter turns off and flies away. You begin to cry, thinking that you will now freeze to death rather than merely dying on impact, and even if you do survive, you'll be horribly disfigured for life. The pain is too much, and you're exhausted. You want so badly to go to sleep. You pass out.
You come to a few days later, in a hospital bed. You can't speak, because there's a tube down your throat. Eventually, a nurse comes in. Then a doctor. They tell you that you've been in a plane crash, and are one of just a lucky few to survive. The tube comes out. You ask about your parents. The nurse shakes her head sadly and tells you that they are dead. You're an orphan. And you have weeks of recovery ahead of you, maybe even months. And now you have to bear this trauma for the rest of your life.
I feel people that go through trauma like this as a child grow up to be some of the most mentally and emotionally strong of all
she's 36 years old now, I wonder if she's still alive today
@@chemicalbrucey157 Not sure if that's how it works. Such people might be strong in some ways but also absolutely insensitive in other ways. They are likely able to relatively calmly watch a person die, for instance. Not sure if that's a good thing.
If she survived in 1985, then she could be 48 years old.
Damn, when he said “this is the end” it sent chills all down my back. This was definitely one of the most touching videos I’ve seen recently. The crew really did try. a lot of knowledge going into work here. I can only imagine how stressed the FO was, let alone everyone else. I’m surprised that anyone survived. I’m really curious as to how they did. Even if rescue had to take time to get to them, how do you survive this? The maintenance manager also killed himself to apologize for this, wow. I can’t imagine how he felt. Honestly because of your videos, I’ve developed some kind of feeling that is hard to explain, but basically I have a strong urge to be in this exact situation, just so I can take in the thoughts and feelings that people have right before their plane crashes. It would suck to die that way, and I don’t want to, but it’s really a weird feeling that I think a lot of families members who’ve lost someone in a planet crash, experience also. Almost as if it gives them justice to know just how scared or emotional their loved one was. It’s not knowing how they felt in the final moments that bring out this curiosity.
I’m also really morbidly curious of how it would feel to be on a plane falling towards the ground. But my god, I can only imagine how horrible and terrifying it really is, I would not want the knowledge of knowing my family member went through the horror of dying in an airplane crash.
I am more surprised by the fact that many people survived right after the crash (according to testimony of a survivor). It means, the pilots did their job very well, way above expectations.
I wonder how the captain couldn’t take over the controls though? Was the captain better served thinking how they could save the situation maybe he was doing some calculations in scribe? The FO was a trainee and surely was in over his head to manage composure. Anyone got an explanation for that?
No matter how many times you reupload flight 123, I always have the tendency to watch. How determined the pilots are to land the plane safely. They've do anything they can without fail. Truly heroes. However the sadness is real 😢
"This is the end".. man this one makes me cry
Someone is desperate for likes.
This is by far the saddest of all air crash videos, the Crew never gave up. They kept trying to win an impossible battle. Allec you do an excellent job on all your videos. You are a fine young man and I commend you for your talents and patience in making these and doing the research into them.
This terrifying "Pull up! " at the end... 😔
RIP
Can't believe they took your original video down. The word heroism is overused but the crew on this flight were heroes in the truest sense. Keep doing what you do Allec, love your channel.
Rangda Rangda Has
Incredible how they fought to get that aircraft under control. Just amazing airmanship by all three.
This was one of the most depressing ones Ive watched; I need a couple of shots now, damn. Those poor guys were doomed once that vertical tail broke off. Those pilots were heros though; they hung in there till the bitter end, this was awful......this reminds me a little bit of Alaska 261 where the pilots never gave up, they fought till the bitter end.
Yeah me too. If they've made it to the airport this would have been bigger than the Hudson River miracle.
buddy, its time to watch TWA flight 800. if this is the "most depressing ones that you ever watched" for you, TWA flight 800 will give you nightmares.
@@doctorTF_2 The difference is TWA didn't have a flight crew at the end. Yes it would have been terrifying for the passengers but in this case, you has three men flying a dead airplane that they had no real hope of landing in one piece. BUT no pilot would give up. Even pilots who get locked out of the cockpit, don't give up trying. Like US Navy Seal Marcus Luttrell said, "You don't quit until you're dead."
@@thebeagles2025 dont know what you are talking about but ok.
Z. Lapu he is talking that teh twa pilots couldnt do anything since they were passed out but these people fought until the end
The best I've seen yet.
The real time cockpit recordings, photos, and excellent captions and graphics made the difference.
I almost felt as if I was there.
These pilots are true heroes, they fought a hell of a fight all the way to the end. My condolences to everyone involved.
This captain was a hero. He managed to fly this aircraft without its tail, minimum hydraulic system left for 45 minutes. Listen to the real cockpit audio! With all the alarms and screams, chilling.
In hindsight, the airlines assigned the right Captain to train the soon to be Captain. How they stayed in the air as long as they did shows the skill of the Captain.
Couldnt they have gain control of the plane by moving the passengers back or forward as needed???I saw another video of the same that happening to another flight,and that pilot saved them all by moving the passengers to level the plane.This flight had plenty of them,and it doesnt take many to level the plane.
Jose santos Sanchez gonzales I think the plane was full. Over 500 people. No place to put them.
@@stvandy1 it worked for the other pilot.So,you think that lifting the passenger from their seats and moving them to either direcction as needed,,747 have plenty of walking room,it wouldn't level the plane????They could also use the cargo holds.I would try anything before giving up,I've been in thight situations before,and here I am.
@@josesantossanchezgonzales7731 the plane had an explosive decompression at cruising altitude---over 30,000 feet. The passengers were wearing the oxygen masks that drop from the overhead panels. They're attached to a central oxygen supply and fixed in place. You have less than a minute to put that mask on before you become unconscious. They would have died before the plane reached an altitude that would have supported life without oxygen masks. That's number one. Number two, have you ever been on an airliner? Do you have any idea how narrow those aisles are? They're just wide enough for the food carts. There's no room for 500+ people to get up and move around all at once. Yours are among the stupidest comments I've ever seen on an air disaster page.
@@mikeprevost8650 Yes,you are right,but not for long,I'm pretty sure they didn't need them when they crashed.Well,just tell me one thing.If they would have gotten up and try to balance the plane,you think it would have worked!????
This is just heartrending. The pilots tried so hard to save the plane.
Plane's pilots and crew are the real superheroes. They tried their best. RIP to all who deceased. After watching this, can't able to stop my tears.
As of 2019, there are no airplane deaths in Japan
Because I learned this accident.
This one out of all the ones I’ve seen is the saddest. I’m legit in tears right now, crying for 500+ people I never met and their loved ones. The pilots were truly brave. RIP to all who lost their lives in this tragedy 😢
And they were so close! At least 4 lifes were saved.
only 4 because of the Japanese government refusing help.
Mountains in the dark, terrain is unclear, rescue activities are dangerous.
@@wadepsilon01 the US offered help, but Japan refused.
The Japanese government refused because it feared a double disaster
Gabko Dobransky one of them later turned into a psychopath and went on a killing spree.
I can't imagine something happening like this in such a huge machine carrying over 500 people.
Talk about an immense sense of responsibility.
May they all rest in peace as this must've been a horrific way to die
john smith I have, but that was a fairly quick crash, whereas this one took about 20 mins which means 20 mins of panic
I believe more people in Tenerife died but this is still the single greatest loss of life in midair.
Tenerife was obviously the greatest loss of life involving a place, period. Even though there was 2 planes involved in that one.
Out of all crashes, this one is so hard to see that it literally tears me up!
The Captain and crew are heroes. I honor their memory. Many people survived this crash only to succumb to the elements. The lack of deployment of rescue crews that night is inexplicable and unforgivable . These souls deserved better
Those pilots fought for their passengers all the way. May their memories be blessings.
I remember this one from my childhood. Those pilots reminded me of the stories from WW2 of pilots keeping their shattered bombers aloft until the crew could bail. These pilots fought it until the very end, and did all they could. IIRC, Japan hailed them as heroes after the investigation was complete.
If I recall correctly, this captain had done pioneering work in using asymmetrical thrust settings for steering control in just such an emergency, prior to this flight. He fought heroically. In hindsight, I wonder if their best course of action would have been to request a heading out over the ocean and attempt to ditch at sea. May they all rest in peace.
6omega2 ditching at sea would be just as catastrophic because they could not fly the plane with the yoke. This would make safe ditching near impossible
I thought that too.
john smith yes, I wondered if they had gone to Nagoya they’d have a better outcome; but then if the plane was uncontrollable they wouldn’t have been able to do anything. So sad. I remember when this happened, I had a Japanese friend staying with me/my family.
The Gimli Glider had a similar situation, one of the designers of that aircraft type was on board and was able to suggest things. The pilot was also a trained glider pilot so knew more about bringing down an unpowered aircraft that most. They also crashed near a motor racing meeting that had fire extinguishers and (fortunately not required) ambulances on hand. That really was a day when everything went right.
The fact that recovered actual photos of the cabin before the accident is not short of amazing. I actually thought they all or most of them survived...it is truly sad most of them did pass away. 😥
You thought most survived? As opposed to 500+ deceased, and 4 or 5 survivors?
@@mdd1963 --- What he probably meant, and what you should have deducted was that he saw the photo and at first blush it appeared POST crash. thus yes, most would have survived according to that photo. I sure thought that when i saw it. I had no idea it was taken during the emergency as those types photos are extraordinarily rare.
@@LiveWildandFree37 You do not know what anyone meant, but are free to speculate; however, I have zero interest in what *you* think I should have 'deducted', ...not to be confused with 'deduced'....; right?
@@mdd1963 So much hate. You must be a liberal. MAGA :)
Had the rescue personnel gotten to em in time, they would have. That's anther tragic thing about this.
They were doing all they could! I just can't imagine. I gotta STOP watching these videos.
Regarding the Japanese Flight 123, it is very sad that the 2 company executives committed suicide as a way of saying they were sorry for what happended. I find that extremely moving.
Anywhere except Japan they’d have been retired on full pensions.
They fought like hell for an uncontrollable situation and managed to survive for 32 minutes in flight.They weren’t afraid to try all the possibilities and some worked.5 star pilots right there
They had an airport straight ahead less than fifteen minutes away but choose to try and turn around.
@@grex1242 There is a reason you don't land at any random airport during an emergency.
Extremely intense video...I was on the edge of my desk chair....I can only imagine how the Pilots and passengers felt. Allec, you do a outstanding job of not only showing “what happened “, but also “why?”. Thank you for that.
This brings a tear to my eye. These pilots did everything right. They kept it in the air under pressure that other pilots couldn't do in the safety of a simulator. Not all heros have a good outcome . God bless these heros
I am sure someone has already mentioned this, but just in case, one of the passengers who died on JAL123 was Japanese singer Kyu Sakamoto , whose “Sukiyaki” reached number one in the US in the 60’s. I remember listening to it on the school bus ride. It is a very sad and powerful song and it somehow seems to fit this circumstance. Also, regarding this flight, it stayed airborne about 30 minutes before crashing, and afforded some passengers time to write their goodbyes to their loved ones. Here is “Sukiyaki”: th-cam.com/video/C35DrtPlUbc/w-d-xo.html (This might make you cry).
Alec, thank you for this. Sometimes you watch a video clip of tragedy or where people are imperiled and you watch it with a distance, far removed from the horror and immediacy of the unfolding situation. However, I am haunted evermore by the brave, steadfast, frantic, and, alas, inevitably futile, attempts to control the uncontrollable: Captian Takahama, Officer Sasaki, Engineer Fukada are heroes that are cemented for all time into the goodwill fabric of eternity. Sobering when the Captain calls out in resignation: "It's the end." It reminds us that so it will be for all of us.
It's like driving a car without steering wheel, these pilots are trully amazing
As I was watching I could hardly believe the aircraft did not roll over and plunge. No vertical stabilizer, no hydraulics.... Fantastic flying to the last instant.
That broke my heart, they tried so hard.
They fought like hell, wasnt enough😢
Two people looking for likes.
They flew for how long without their vertical stabilizer and total loss of hydraulics! That really was amazing.
When the pilot said, "It's the end". I was breathing so heavily. Its so terrible
I can't believe there were survivors. How terrifying that whole ordeal must have been.
Big ups to the pilots huge respect for trying their best. All aviation enthusiasts knows what happens when your tail/rudder breaks off
Edit: hearing the captain say this is the end has me teary eyed 😭😭😭
After the crash his daughter became a flight attendant the captain body was found last, words are "it's the end!!" 😓😓😢😢☹️
Its only Takahama’s jaw and some teeth, but yeah... his doughter followed his footsteps, even the sons of the FO and flight engineer became pilots like their fallen fathers.
@@firemangan2731 Really? No body remains other than jaws and some teeth?
@R M Is there any other possibilities? For example, the captain's body was eaten by wild animals living in the forest of the mountain, since the rescue took some time.
@@sr3821 Yes, it was proven to be his after examining his dental records (DNA testing was still in its infancy at the time)
@@sr3821 No. No animal would’ve ever go near the crash site, especially the smell of feul would be sensitive to any animal’s noses, but I don’t think there are any native animals on the mountain. Anyone who was at the front of the plane when it crashed at such a high speed would’ve been disintegrated to almost nothing.
They fought hard to the very end. Much respect to them. So sorry for those who lost their lives & to the families left to carry on. The guilt had to be horrible for those responsible for the repairs. Such a tragedy. I cried.
When I went to flight school, the instructor told me that whatever goes wrong, you NEVER EVER stop flying the plane. RIP to the people who lost their lives in the crash.
Rest In Peace for all the people who lost their lives on JAL123. Nice Video there. Keep up the good work.
There were 4 survivors
@@JoeyFlyBoy Yeah, but he didn't include the survivors among the ones who ''lost their lives''
@@MrPipoma oh yeah u got a point
"ITS THE END"
Truly chilling words, must have been horrible to be on that aircraft
Freckles Aviation true
And walking in pitch darkness, holding your guts in, with only one arm as the other was twisted off, while hearing the low ringing of brain damage, letting out a moan of horrible pain shooting through your entire body, you can't think, and the feeling that your life is over seeps in. Absolutely horrible.
Rest in peace, all 520 passengers and the pilots, who were truest of heroes.
I watch this every time it comes up . It’s heart wrenching . The crew will always be remembered as selfless and courageous. They fought so hard. Sincere condolences to all .
Having time to write goodbye letters is horrible. Knowing you are dead and telling your loved ones good bye.
I flew to Haneda a few months after this crash, from New Zealand. When we touched down everyone was cheering. It was a sobering moment.
That was gripping right to the end, pilots were fighting all the way, total respect
I wonder how the survivors doing now, so many years later.
When he said the plane was *uncontrollable*... Gives you shivers for many reasons. RIP and good, hard work trying to save the situation.
When he said it’s the end I started tearing up I can’t handle this, This is sad They didn’t even have time to get the evacuation okay I need to stop being emotional 😭 May they all Rest In Peace 💔
Boeing negligence responsible for this accident. Cannot imagine the terror the pilots and passengers went through in those last minutes.
The response of the Japanese government also did little to help the immediate aftermath. According to sources I’ve read the planes crash was spotted by US Army personnel who offered their assistance immediately as the location of the crash was remote and difficult to access. The Japanese government didn’t accept the help and the first rescue crews didn’t get to the crash site until hours after the initial impact. More people could have survived if response had been more prompt.
Amazing that anyone survived. The camera as well. God bless the souls of the rest.
That was a really nice thing that ATC did when they told the pilots they can speak in Japanese.
It's so sad to hear pilot words on CVR .. it feels like my mind was gone inside that flight and faced that situation .. 😭😭
My heart rate was constantly increasing with that beep sound and when he was screaming power power huffff....i had to take a breathe break.its intense
my heart sank at "passengers began to write farewell letters" and the captain's last words "it's the end!". Nobody deserves this!
The sad part is that the crew would never know how admirable their efforts were or what happened to the plane. How awful.
Nice job Alec, loved how you used the cockpit voice recordings, another solid video - two thumbs up!!
Here on August 12, 2021, 36 years later. Truly a horrible crash. RIP to everyone who died.
I really enjoy Mr Joshua,'s reconstructions. Very true to form and chocked full of details. Texts are good, readable. I love them so continue the good presentations.
The Pilots Bravery is astounding. They saved 4 lives. And every life saved here is a miracle. That’s 4 miracles. Whats even more tragic is that 2 people committed suicide after blaming themselves. It hurts knowing the authorities Didn't send out the rescue team until the following morning. They could have saved more people. And then they also Denied US assistance which makes no sense. Why didn't the plane do a landing at Nagoya??One of the most harrowing incidents I’ve ever heard of. God. And those final words. I’ll never forget this. I pray for the lost, for the relatives of the lost, and that another incident like this never happens again.
Even though they died yrs ago mad respect to the crew who tried so hard to save both themselves and passengers 👍👍👏👏