The Japan Airlines Safety Promotion Center (日本航空安全啓発センター, Nihon Kōkū Anzai Keihatsu Sentā[1]) is a museum and educational center operated by Japan Airlines to promote airline safety. It is located on the grounds of Tokyo International Airport in Ota, Tokyo, Japan.[1][2] The center estimates that its facility is within two minutes walking distance from the Tokyo Monorail Shin Seibijō Station.[3]
A major objective of the Safety Promotion Center is to establish safety awareness among JAL Group staff.[4] The main exhibits of the center explain the events leading to the crash of Japan Airlines Flight 123, which used a Boeing 747.[5]
History edit
On August 12, 1985, Japan Airlines Flight 123, a flight from Tokyo International Airport (informally called Haneda Airport) to Osaka International Airport (also known as Itami Airport), crashed into Mount Takamagahara.[6] The accident was the deadliest involving a single aircraft.[7] The crash was eventually attributed to an improper repair in the rear bulkhead several years earlier, leading to catastrophic structural failure.[8]
A five-member panel of external safety experts was established by Japan Airlines in 2005, the 20th anniversary of JAL 123 crash, to brainstorm ideas to prevent future air disasters. Chaired by Kunio Yanagida, a well-known writer specializing in scientific, aviation, and crisis management topics, the panel recommended the creation of the center.[9]
The center opened on April 24, 2006.[10] Yutaka Kanasaki was the founding director.[9] One of the main objectives of the center is to establish safety awareness among Japan Airlines employees.[4] In 2013, the center moved from its original location on the second floor of the Daini Sogo Building (第二綜合ビル, Daini Sōgō Biru) near Seibijō Station to its current location beside Shin Seibijō Station.[11]
Access edit
The center is located the JAL Maintenance Center 1 near Haneda Airport, reachable by the Shin Seibijō Station on the Tokyo Monorail Haneda Airport Line. It is open to the public, but reservations are necessary.[3]
Exhibits edit
Wreckage from the aft fuselage, the cockpit voice recorder, newspaper reports of the accident, and photographs of the crash site are on display at the center. Owing to the amount of time the aircraft remained in the air after being crippled, a number of passengers chose to write farewell letters. Some of these letters are also on display.[9] The center also has displays about other Japan Airlines accidents, as well as other historical aviation accidents.[4] The center occupies 622 square meters (6,700 sq ft) of floor space.[10]
References edit
- ^ a b "安全啓発センター Archived 2010-09-27 at the Wayback Machine." Japan Airlines. Retrieved on August 18, 2010. (Direct map link Archived 2008-11-17 at the Wayback Machine)
- ^ "Safety Promotion Center Archived 2008-05-01 at the Wayback Machine." Japan Airlines. Retrieved on August 18, 2010.
- ^ a b "For Visitors of Safety Promotion Center". www.jal.com. Japan Airlines. Archived from the original on 27 March 2023. Retrieved 5 June 2023.
- ^ a b c All About the JAL Group - Safety Operations Archived 2008-05-01 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "JAL's Safety Promotion Center with 1985 jet wreckage opens. Industry & Business Article - Research, News, Information, Contacts, Divisions, Subsidiaries, Business Associations". Archived from the original on 19 March 2012. Retrieved 1 December 2007.
- ^ "Last Minutes of JAL 123," TIME. 5.
- ^ Magnuson, Ed (21 June 2005). "Disasters: Last Minutes of JAL 123". Time. Archived from the original on 30 June 2007. Retrieved 23 May 2010.
- ^ ASN Aircraft accident description Boeing 747SR-46 JA8119 - Ueno
- ^ a b c Stanley, Bruce (27 July 2006). "Japan Airlines exhibits contrition for '85 crash". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
- ^ a b Apr 19, 2006 JAL Opens Safety Promotion Center To Promote Safety Awareness
- ^ "日航ジャンボ機事故、展示施設が移転・再開 安全へ誓い新た". 日本経済新聞 (in Japanese). 10 December 2013. Retrieved 29 March 2024.
External links edit
- Safety Promotion Center - Japan Airlines (in English)
- Safety Promotion Center - Japan Airlines (in Japanese)