[18:24:00] Bang heard from rear of aircraft  
[18:24:02] [Cabin pressure warning horn—continuous “beep… beep…”]  
[18:24:05] Captain Takahama: “Emergency squawk 7700 on transponder.”  
[18:24:08] Flight Engineer: “Hydraulic pressure down… amber light on…”  
[18:24:12] Captain Takahama: “Right turn… right turn.”  
[18:24:15] Flight Engineer: “I did…”  
[18:24:18] Captain Takahama: “Tokyo, JAL 123. Request immediate… trouble. Request return to Haneda. Descend and maintain 220. Over.”  
[18:24:23] Tokyo Control: “Roger, approved as you requested.”  
[18:24:27] Captain Takahama: “Radar vector to Oshima, please.”  
[18:24:30] Captain Takahama: “Hydro… all no good.”  
[18:24:33] Tokyo Control: “Fly heading 010, radar vector Oshima.”  
[18:24:36] Captain Takahama: “But now uncontrollable.”  

[18:28:00] [Door 5-R warning light illuminated (unlocked)]  
[18:28:05] Flight Engineer (over intercom to FA): “Captain, door 5 R window. Emergency descent advisable. Shall we use oxygen masks?”  
[18:28:10] Captain Takahama: “Yes, that’s better.”  
[18:28:15] Tokyo Control: “You are now 72 miles from Nagoya; can you land there?”  
[18:28:20] Captain Takahama: “Request return to Haneda.”  

[18:33:00] [All engines still running; hydraulics and flying controls inoperative—aircraft in Dutch roll]  
[18:33:05] FA Yumi Ochiai (later recollection): “The 747 began to ‘hira-hira,’ falling like a leaf.”  

[18:41:00] [At 22,000 ft full loss of control; aircraft banks in a 2.5 mi circle over Ōtsuki]  

[18:47:00] Tokyo Control: “Can you control now?”  
[18:47:05] Captain Takahama: “Uncontrollable.”  
[18:47:10] Captain Takahama: “Hey, there’s a mountain.”  
[18:47:12] Captain Takahama: “Turn right. Up. Fight!”  
[18:47:15] [Crew applies full power; aircraft pitches wildly; speed bleeds off to 108 kt]  
[18:47:20] Flight Engineer: “Shall I rev it up?”  
[18:47:22] Captain Takahama: “Rev up, rev up… oh no… stall.”  
[18:47:25] Captain Takahama: “Maximum power.”  
[18:47:28] Flight Engineer: “We are gaining speed.”  
[18:47:30] Captain Takahama: “Keep trying.”  
[18:47:32] Captain Takahama: “The speed is 220 kt.”  
[18:47:35] Tokyo Approach: “JAL 123, you’re 55 miles northwest of Haneda.”  
[18:47:38] Captain Takahama: “Northwest of Haneda—how many miles?”  
[18:47:40] Tokyo Approach: “55 miles NW, 25 miles west of Kumagaya. Ready for your approach anytime. Yokota landing available—let us know intentions.”  

[18:50:00] [Aircraft descending; crew attempts to fly using flaps and thrust]  
[18:50:05] Captain Takahama: “Flap set?”  
[18:50:08] First Officer: “Yes—flap ten.”  
[18:50:10] Captain Takahama: “Nose up… nose up… nose up.”  
[18:50:12] Captain Takahama: “Hold the flap… don’t lower so much. Flap up, flap up, flap up.”  
[18:50:15] Captain Takahama: “Power, power… flaps.”  
[18:50:18] First Officer: “It is up.”  
[18:50:20] Captain Takahama: “Nose up… nose up… POWER.”  
[18:50:22] GPWS (voice): “Pull up… pull up… pull up…”  
[18:50:25] Captain Takahama: “It’s the end.”  

[End of recording]