What happened
On January 13, 1977, a Japan Air Line (JAL) McDonnell-Douglas DC-8-62F, registration JA 8054, was operating an international cargo charter from Moses Lake, Washington, with a scheduled stop in Anchorage, Alaska. The aircraft arrived at the Anchorage airport early in the morning. During the ground period, maintenance personnel and contract mechanics inspected the plane. While some mechanics noted ice on the engine cowlings and inlet guide vanes, they did not report ice on the wing surfaces. No specific maintenance was performed to remove this ice.
Prior to departure, a taxi driver reported observing highly unusual behavior from the captain, describing him as uncoordinated, incoherent, and appearing intoxicated. Despite these observations being reported to a dispatch office, the outbound crew—consisting of an American captain, a Japanese first officer, and a flight engineer—proceeded with the flight. During the pre-flight process, the crew activated the engine anti-ice system but noted the de-ice system was off.
During taxiing, the aircraft experienced some confusion regarding runway assignments, briefly entering runway 24R before being redirected to 24L. The takeoff roll commenced at approximately 0634. Shortly after rotation, the aircraft began to buffet. The flight engineer noted an excessive pitch angle, followed by a stall warning from the stickshaker. The aircraft climbed to roughly 100 feet before veering left and crashing. The impact resulted in 5 fatalities among the crew and the destruction of the aircraft and its cargo.
Findings
- The aircraft was operating with ice present on the engine inlets.
- The pilot's control inputs during the takeoff phase led to the aerodynamic stall.
- The captain was performing the flight while under the influence of alcohol.