All Nippon Airways Flight 58
Encyclopedia
All Nippon Airways
(ANA) Flight 58 was a Boeing 727-281
airliner, JA8329, that collided with a Japan Air Self-Defense Force
(JASDF) F-86F fighter jet
, 92-7932, while en route from Chitose Airport
in Sapporo
to Tokyo International Airport
(Haneda Airport) in Tokyo
on 30 July 1971 at 2:04 local time. All 162 of those on board the Boeing 727 died. The plane also carried Donn M. Carpenter of Miami, Florida who was the flight engineer and the only American aboard. The pilot and sole occupant of the F-86, a trainee with the JASDF, ejected from his aircraft shortly before the collision and survived. The collision occurred over Shizukuishi
, Iwate Prefecture
.
Flight 58 had just departed Sapporo and was flying at an altitude of FL280. Meanwhile, a 22-year-old JASDF trainee, , and his instructor, Captain , were practicing maneuvers in their F-86 fighters. Ichikawa, who had not been watching for traffic, was instructed to break away from the 727 as it approached, but he could not avoid the accident. Instead, he ejected. The leading edge of the F-86 struck the left horizontal stabilizer of the Boeing, causing the passenger jet to disintegrate in mid-air and crash near the town of Shizukuishi.
The two planes collided at 26,000 feet over Morioka, in the northern part of the main Japanese island of Honshū, 275 miles north of Tokyo. The F-86 jet fighter plunged into a rice paddy, while the wreckage of the three-engine
airliner was spread over a wide area.
Most of the passengers came from Fuji
, Shizuoka Prefecture
and were returning from a trip to Hokkaido. Of the passengers, 125 were in a tour group made up of members of a society for
relatives of Japanese servicemen killed in World War II.
Sgt. Ichikawa, the 22-year-old pilot, had only 21 hours of training in the fighter. The police said their investigation
indicated the fighter had entered the corridor reserved for commercial airliners and later arrested Ichikawa, charging him with "professional negligence."
Saburo Kawanishi, 41, the pilot of the jetliner, had more than 8,000 hours of flying experience. He was able to get
off a brief radio message between the time of the collision and the crash.
At the time, it was the deadliest air disaster in history. The deadliest previous aviation
toll was in the crash of Viasa Flight 742
on March 16, 1969, into a crowded section of Maracaibo
, killing 155 — 84 on the plane and 71 on the ground.
All Nippon Airways
, also known as or ANA, is one of the largest airlines in Japan. It is headquartered at the Shiodome City Center in the Shiodome area in Minato, Tokyo, Japan. It operates services to 49 destinations in Japan and 35 international routes and employed over 14,000 employees as of May 2009...
(ANA) Flight 58 was a Boeing 727-281
Boeing 727
The Boeing 727 is a mid-size, narrow-body, three-engine, T-tailed commercial jet airliner, manufactured by Boeing. The Boeing 727 first flew in 1963, and for over a decade more were built per year than any other jet airliner. When production ended in 1984 a total of 1,832 aircraft had been produced...
airliner, JA8329, that collided with a Japan Air Self-Defense Force
Japan Air Self-Defense Force
The , or JASDF, is the aviation branch of the Japan Self-Defense Forces responsible for the defense of Japanese airspace and other aerospace operations. The JASDF carries out combat air patrols around Japan, while also maintaining an extensive network of ground and air early warning radar systems...
(JASDF) F-86F fighter jet
F-86 Sabre
The North American F-86 Sabre was a transonic jet fighter aircraft. Produced by North American Aviation, the Sabre is best known as America's first swept wing fighter which could counter the similarly-winged Soviet MiG-15 in high speed dogfights over the skies of the Korean War...
, 92-7932, while en route from Chitose Airport
Chitose Air Base
, is a Japan Air Self-Defense Force base located in Chitose, Hokkaidō, adjacent to New Chitose Airport. It is the JASDF's primary base in northern Japan and tasked with monitoring Japan's maritime borders with Russia. It was also Hokkaidō's primary civilian airport until the opening of New Chitose...
in Sapporo
Sapporo, Hokkaido
is the fourth-largest city in Japan by population, and the largest city on the island of Hokkaido. It is the capital of Hokkaidō Prefecture, located in Ishikari Subprefecture, and an ordinance-designated city of Japan....
to Tokyo International Airport
Tokyo International Airport
, commonly known as , is one of the two primary airports that serve the Greater Tokyo Area in Japan. It is located in Ōta, Tokyo, south of Tokyo Station....
(Haneda Airport) in Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
on 30 July 1971 at 2:04 local time. All 162 of those on board the Boeing 727 died. The plane also carried Donn M. Carpenter of Miami, Florida who was the flight engineer and the only American aboard. The pilot and sole occupant of the F-86, a trainee with the JASDF, ejected from his aircraft shortly before the collision and survived. The collision occurred over Shizukuishi
Shizukuishi, Iwate
is a town located in Iwate District, Iwate Prefecture, Japan.As of 31 July 2010, the town has an estimated population of 18,492.- Geography :Shizukuishi is located in the Ōu Mountains. Mount Iwate, an active volcano, lies just to the north of Shizukuishi and dominates the landscape...
, Iwate Prefecture
Iwate Prefecture
is the second largest prefecture of Japan after Hokkaido. It is located in the Tōhoku region of Honshū island and contains the island's easternmost point. The capital is Morioka. Iwate has the lowest population density of any prefecture outside Hokkaido...
.
Flight 58 had just departed Sapporo and was flying at an altitude of FL280. Meanwhile, a 22-year-old JASDF trainee, , and his instructor, Captain , were practicing maneuvers in their F-86 fighters. Ichikawa, who had not been watching for traffic, was instructed to break away from the 727 as it approached, but he could not avoid the accident. Instead, he ejected. The leading edge of the F-86 struck the left horizontal stabilizer of the Boeing, causing the passenger jet to disintegrate in mid-air and crash near the town of Shizukuishi.
The two planes collided at 26,000 feet over Morioka, in the northern part of the main Japanese island of Honshū, 275 miles north of Tokyo. The F-86 jet fighter plunged into a rice paddy, while the wreckage of the three-engine
airliner was spread over a wide area.
Most of the passengers came from Fuji
Fuji, Shizuoka
is a city in eastern Shizuoka Prefecture. Fuji is the 3rd largest city in terms of population in Shizuoka Prefecture, trailing Hamamatsu and Shizuoka. As of February 2010, the city has an estimated population of 254,113 and a population density of 1040 persons per km²...
, Shizuoka Prefecture
Shizuoka Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region on Honshu island. The capital is the city of Shizuoka.- History :Shizuoka prefecture was formed from the former Tōtōmi, Suruga and Izu provinces.The area was the home of the first Tokugawa Shogun...
and were returning from a trip to Hokkaido. Of the passengers, 125 were in a tour group made up of members of a society for
relatives of Japanese servicemen killed in World War II.
Sgt. Ichikawa, the 22-year-old pilot, had only 21 hours of training in the fighter. The police said their investigation
indicated the fighter had entered the corridor reserved for commercial airliners and later arrested Ichikawa, charging him with "professional negligence."
Saburo Kawanishi, 41, the pilot of the jetliner, had more than 8,000 hours of flying experience. He was able to get
off a brief radio message between the time of the collision and the crash.
At the time, it was the deadliest air disaster in history. The deadliest previous aviation
toll was in the crash of Viasa Flight 742
Viasa Flight 742
Viasa Flight 742 was an international, scheduled passenger flight from Maracaibo, Venezuela to Miami, Florida that crashed on 16 March 1969. Faulty temperature sensors along the runway resulted in an incorrect takeoff configuration, and the aircraft was unable to gain altitude quickly enough...
on March 16, 1969, into a crowded section of Maracaibo
Maracaibo
Maracaibo is a city and municipality located in northwestern Venezuela off the western coast of the Lake Maracaibo. It is the second-largest city in the country after the national capital Caracas and the capital of Zulia state...
, killing 155 — 84 on the plane and 71 on the ground.