## CHAPTER 3 AIR TRANSPORT

## 1 Air Traffic Accident Trends

The annual number of civil aircraft accidents in Japan has remained mostly level in recent years, showing only slight fluctuations. A total of 28 accidents occurred in 2004, resulting in 14 fatalities and 23 injuries.

Changes in Civil Aircraft Accidents and Casualties

Aircraft type	Number of accidents	Number of casualties
Year	Large aircraft	Small aircraft	Ultra-light aircraft	Heli-copters	Gyro-planes	Gliders	Airships	Total	Fatalities	Injuries
2000	3	5	5	11	1	5	0	30	9	28
2001	2	6	2	7	0	4	0	21	12	131
2002	4	4	5	15	0	7	0	35	13	65
2003	3	10	3	1	0	2	0	19	12	13
2004	5	11	2	6	1	3	0	28	14	23

Source: Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport

Notes: 1. All figures are as of the end of the given year.

2. Figures include accidents involving Japanese aircraft outside Japan (2 in 2000, 1 in 2003, 2 in 2004), and accidents involving foreign aircraft in Japan (1 in 2003).

3. Figures do not include natural deaths or non-accidental casualties (self-inflicted or otherwise) that occurred on board aircraft.

4. Fatalities include all deaths occurring within 30 days and missing people.

5. Injury figures for 2004 are provisional.

Postscript: Beginning in January, a string of non-fatal but serious safety problems have occurred in 2005. The details are as follows.

1. JAL Group safety problems: Several incidents involving airplanes operated by Japan Airlines International Co. Ltd. have occurred. In one case, it was discovered that incorrect main landing gear components had been used in the company's B747 cargo jets for years. On March 11, a Japan Airlines International pilot misinterpreted the air traffic controller's instructions at Incheon International Airport in South Korea, and on March 14 flight attendants failed to make emergency slides automatically operable on one flight.

In addition, a Japan Airlines Domestic Co., Ltd. pilot violated takeoff procedures at New Chitose Airport on January 22.

Since the safety problems occurred within a short span of time and the companies involved failed to adequately communicate information and take appropriate responses, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (MLIT) took action to prevent similar incidents from happening and to ensure transportation safety. On March 17, MLIT issued an operations improvement order to Japan Airlines International, directing the company to thoroughly determine the causes of the problems, carry out complete safety inspections on its operations, review its safety system, and reinforce employees' consciousness on safety. MLIT also sent a warning to Japan Airlines Domestic that called for similar safety improvements, and a warning to Japan Airlines Corporation (the holding company for Japan Airlines International and Japan Airlines Domestic) that requested it to provide better guidance and supervision of the companies under its control.

On April 14, the JAL Group provided MLIT with an operational improvement report that described the common factors and background behind the aforementioned incidents, and the new preventive measures that it adopted. The report also included information related to other safety problems that occurred after MLIT issued the improvement order.

In order to verify that the operational improvements were being implemented, MLIT carried out on-site inspections of JAL’s head office, headquarters for operation, maintenance, and passenger cabin operation from April