 N310EA, the aircraft involved in the accident. | |
| Accident | |
|---|---|
| Date | December 29, 1972 |
| Summary | CFIT due to pilot error and loss of situational awareness |
| Site | Florida Everglades near Miami International Airport Miami-Dade County, Florida, U.S. 25°51′53″N 80°35′43″W / 25.86472°N 80.59528°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 |
Eastern Air Lines Flight 401 was a scheduled flight from John F. Kennedy International Airport in Queens, New York, United States, to Miami International Airport in Miami, Florida, United States. Shortly before midnight on December 29, 1972, the Lockheed L-1011-1 TriStar crashed into the Florida Everglades,[1][2][3] killing 101 people. All 4 cockpit crew members[clarification needed], two of the 10 flight attendants, and 96 of the 163 passengers had been killed in the disaster. 75 people survived, all injured, including 58 who were seriously injured and 15 who were minorly injured.
The crash occurred while the entire flight crew were preoccupied with a burnt-out landing gear indicator light. The captain bumped the 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 did not 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.[4] It was also the first severe widebody aircraft crash.
- ^ "Airliner carrying 167 crashes in Everglades". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). wire service reports. December 30, 1972. p. 1A.
- ^ "Giant jetliner goes down in 'gator infested swamp". The Bulletin. (Bend, Oregon). UPI. December 30, 1972. p. 1.
- ^ "Jet's fall cushioned by swamp". Reading Eagle. (Pennsylvania). Associated Press. December 31, 1972. p. 1.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
asnwas invoked but never defined (see the help page).