Eastern Air Lines Flight 401
Eastern Air Lines Flight 401 was a scheduled flight from New York JFK to Miami. Shortly before midnight on December 29, 1972, the Lockheed L-1011-1 TriStar crashed into the Florida Everglades, causing 101 total fatalities. All three cockpit crew members, two of the 10 flight attendants, and 96 of the 163 passengers were killed; 75 people survived.
N310EA, the aircraft involved in the accident. | |
| Accident | |
|---|---|
| Date | December 29, 1972 |
| Summary | CFIT due to pilot error and loss of situational awareness due to burnt out lightbulb |
| Site | Florida Everglades near Miami International Airport Miami-Dade County, Florida, U.S. 25°51′53″N 80°35′43″W |
| Aircraft | |
| Aircraft type | Lockheed L-1011-385-1 TriStar |
| Operator | Eastern Air Lines |
| IATA flight No. | EA401 |
| ICAO flight No. | EAL401 |
| Call sign | EASTERN 401 |
| Registration | N310EA |
| Flight origin | John F. Kennedy Int'l Airport |
| Destination | Miami International Airport |
| Occupants | 176 |
| Passengers | 163 |
| Crew | 13 |
| Fatalities | 101 |
| Injuries | 75 |
| Survivors | 75 |
The crash occurred while the entire flight crew were preoccupied with a burnt-out landing gear indicator light. The captain bumped the control yoke on the aircraft, causing it to turn off the autopilot. Due to the focus on the landing gear and the minimal changes in the cockpit, the pilots didn’t notice. Because of this, the aircraft gradually lost altitude and crashed. This was the first hull loss and fatal crash of a Lockheed L-1011 TriStar.