‘Not forgetting’: deadly Japan Airlines crash families are still mourning 40 years on
The crash on August 12, 1985, killed 520 people, making it the world’s deadliest single-aircraft accident
The steady passing of ageing relatives of the victims of the 1985 Japan Airlines jumbo jet crash has been sad to watch for Kuniko Miyajima, a leading advocate for those who lost loved ones in the world’s deadliest single-aircraft accident.
In its first essay collection in a decade, her group self-published a booklet in mid-July in which dozens of its members record their emotional journeys and still-vivid memories of those they lost in the hopes that it will provide valuable life lessons.
“Telling our stories requires forcing our emotions out and it always carries a bit of pain. But safety is something we must build together, rather than just pray or wish for,” writes the association of bereaved families. “Not forgetting the feelings helps strengthen safety culture.”
The association released a collection of memoirs nearly every year until the 30th anniversary, titled Akanegumo (Red Cloud). The title refers to the sunset glow that passengers and crew on aboard Flight 123 would have seen on the evening flight before the crash, which claimed the lives of all but four of the 524 on board.