Southwest Air Lines Flight 611

Southwest Air Lines Flight 611 (now known as Japan Transocean Air, although easily confusable with the USA-based airline) is the only significant aircraft accident on record at Ishigaki Airport. The accident occurred on 26 August 1982 when the Boeing 737-200 overran the runway while attempting to land. The aircraft caught fire and was destroyed, but none of the 133 passengers and 5 crew died in the accident although two crew and one passenger were seriously injured.[1]

Southwest Air Lines Flight 611
A Southwest Air Lines Boeing 737-200, similar to the accident aircraft
Overrun
Date26 August 1982
SummaryRunway overrun
SiteIshigaki Airport
Aircraft
Aircraft typeBoeing 737-200
OperatorSouthwest Air Lines (now Japan Transocean Air)
RegistrationJA8444
Flight originNaha Airport, Okinawa, Japan
DestinationIshigaki Airport
Passengers133
Crew5
Injuries67
Survivors138 (all)

Flight

Southwest Air Lines Flight 611 took off on runway 36 from Naha Airport on the island of Okinawa[note 1] at 13:09 for a regular flight to Ishigaki Airport, Japan. The aircraft climbed to the cruising altitude of Flight level 240 (approximately 24,000 ft/7,315 m). On approach to Ishigaki, the crew was given weather information for Ishigaki — wind 300 degrees at 12 knots; temperature 32 degrees C (89.6 degrees F); active runway: Runway 22. The crew of Flight 611 made a crosswind landing at a speed slightly higher than the reference airspeed. The aircraft bounced and on touching down again the spoilers and thrust reversers did not seem to operate. The flight crew shut down both engines but this action disabled the anti-skid braking system, and during the landing rolls the inner tires on both main gear legs burst almost simultaneously. Flight 611 overran the runway and came to rest 145 meters (476 feet) beyond the threshold at 13:49. Everyone on board was evacuated. At 14:01 the Boeing 737 caught fire and was destroyed.[2]

None of the 138 passengers and crew were killed in the accident, but 67 were injured. Serious injuries were prevented by a quick evacuation although a stewardess and an elderly woman passenger were detained in hospital. [3]

Notes
  1. The ASN accident synopsis states that the departure point was Naha Airport in Indonesia; however, the runway at Naha, Indonesia, is oriented in a different direction and is too short for Boeing 737 operations. The airline was based at Naha, Okinawa, and had never operated to Indonesia. The flight from Indonesia to the accident airport took more than three hours

References
  1. CAP 479 World Airline Accident Summary (United Kingdom Civil Aviation Authority) Page 16/82
  2. Ranter, Harro. "ASN Aircraft accident Boeing 737-2Q3 JA8444 Ishigaki Airport (ISG)". aviation-safety.net. Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved 2020-11-20.
  3. "Narrow escape for 138 in jet". The Times (61322). London. 27 August 1982. p. 5.
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