IN 1968, a JAL DC-8 was essentially “landed” into the San Francisco Bay in error and about 2.5 miles from the runway it was supposed to land on.  There was no declared emergency and there was no other reason to do this except that it was an accident.  Everyone survived and the DC-8 was actually returned to service eventually (although I’d wager that it wouldn’t be today).  The biggest difference between this incident and the US Airways incident is that the DC-8 wasn’t fully loaded and didn’t have a nearly full fuel load.  Weight makes a big difference. 

What particularly impresses me is the Captain’s explanation for this act when he testified in the investigation.  You can read that HERE.  I didn’t know about this statement until I was reminded of the ditching when reading an aviation forum last night. 

Filed under: Trivia by ajax