Boeing has apologized to Japan Airlines (JAL) after the U.S. planemaker removed a reference to a repair mistake from a document, an action that the company acknowledged caused confusion, according to 産経ニュース.
The apology comes 41 years after the 1985 JAL flight 123 crash, one of the deadliest single-aircraft accidents in aviation history. 産経ニュース reports that Boeing's decision to delete the description of the repair error from the document prompted the company to issue an apology to the Japanese carrier.
The original document had included a mention of a repair mistake, but that passage was later removed. Boeing has since admitted that this deletion created confusion and has formally apologized to JAL for the resulting lack of clarity.
The 1985 crash involved a JAL jumbo jet that went down in the mountains of Gunma Prefecture, killing 520 people. The accident was later attributed to a faulty repair of the aircraft's rear pressure bulkhead, a finding that has remained a significant point of reference in discussions about aviation safety and maintenance oversight.
The removal of the repair error reference from the document could have implications for how the historical record of the crash is presented. Boeing's apology suggests the company recognizes the sensitivity of the issue, particularly given the enduring impact of the disaster on the families of victims and the broader Japanese public.
産経ニュース did not specify which document was involved or when the deletion occurred. The apology marks a rare public acknowledgment from Boeing regarding how it has handled information related to the crash.
What to watch next: Whether JAL or Japanese authorities will request further clarification from Boeing on the document's contents and any potential corrections.
