A rear pressure bulkhead, incorrectly repaired after a tailstrike seven years earlier, failed in flight. The decompression destroyed the vertical stabiliser and severed all four hydraulic systems.
The crew kept the aircraft airborne for 32 minutes using engine thrust alone before it struck Mount Takamagahara. 520 of the 524 people aboard died; four survived.
The accident drove changes in repair documentation and inspection practice, and is studied for both the maintenance failure and the crew's extraordinary attempt at control without hydraulics.
Why this event still matters
Historical incidents shape the rules that protect people today — building codes, evacuation policy, warning systems and inspection regimes almost always trace back to a specific disaster. Studying Japan Airlines Flight 123 alongside current events is how preparedness improves.
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