Eastern Air Lines Flight 401

Eastern Air Lines Flight 401 was a Lockheed L-1011 jet that crashed into the Florida Everglades on the night of December 29, 1972, causing 101 fatalities (77 initial crash survivors, two died shortly afterward). The crash was a result of the flight crew's failure to monitor the flight instruments during a malfunction of the landing gear position indicator system. It was the first crash of a wide-body aircraft in the US, and, at the time, the dead... more

Eastern Air Lines Flight 401 was a Lockheed L-1011 jet that crashed into the Florida Everglades on the night of December 29, 1972, causing 101 fatalities (77 initial crash survivors, two died shortly afterward). The crash was a result of the flight crew's failure to monitor the flight instruments during a malfunction of the landing gear position indicator system. It was the first crash of a wide-body aircraft in the US, and, at the time, the deadliest crash in the United States. It is also known for reported paranormal activities, supposedly stemming from the salvage of aircraft parts; Eastern Airlines later removed the Flight 401 parts. Eastern Air Lines Flight 401, operated by a four-month-old Lockheed L-1011 carrying 163 passengers and 13 crewmembers, left New York's JFK on Friday, December 29, 1972 at 9:20 pm, en route to Miami International Airport. The flight was under the command of Captain Robert Loft, 55, a veteran Eastern Air Lines pilot ranked 50th in seniority at Eastern.... less