Crime In Japan
Suicide by Jetliner
The story of the man who flew JAL Flight 350 into Tokyo Bay
Winter weather in Tokyo is generally bright, clear, and pleasant. February 8, 1982 was no exception.
As JAL Flight 350 went into its final approach to Tokyo’s Haneda Airport, the 166 passengers on board had a view of a brilliant blue sky arching above the placid waters of Tokyo Bay. It was hard to imagine more perfect flying conditions.
As the passengers prepared for landing, their thoughts started turning to the day’s business: appointments, subsequent connections, soon-to-be-reunited loved ones, and other matters.
Just a few short minutes more, and they would be on the ground.
JAL Flight 350 was a McDonnell Douglas DC-8, a four-engine narrow-body airliner, similar to the Boeing 707, carrying 166 passengers and a crew of eight.
Piloted by Captain Seiji Katagiri, Copilot Yoshifumi Ishikawa, and Flight Engineer Yoshimi Ozaki, Flight 350 had departed Fukuoka at 7:34 a.m.
The 90-minute flight to Tokyo had been uneventful, which is expected for a flight on one of the world’s safest airlines along a route that today is flown daily more than 30 times each way.
