N310EA, the aircraft involved in the accident.
Flight 401 Ghost, also known as Eastern Air Lines Flight 401, was a scheduled flight that tragically crashed into the Florida Everglades on December 29, 1972.
Manifestations[]
- A ghostly mist
- A airplane
Background[]
The Lockheed L-1011-1 TriStar aircraft was carrying 163 passengers and 13 crew members when it encountered a critical failure related to a malfunctioning landing gear indicator light. The flight crew became preoccupied with this issue, which led to the autopilot being inadvertently disengaged. As a result, the aircraft gradually lost altitude and ultimately crashed, resulting in the deaths of 101 individuals, including Captain Robert Loft and Flight Engineer Donald Repo.
Following the crash, reports began to surface regarding sightings of Captain Loft and Flight Engineer Repo aboard other Eastern Air Lines flights. These sightings were particularly associated with aircraft that had salvaged parts from Flight 401. For instance, there were accounts of passengers and crew members claiming to have seen apparitions resembling Loft and Repo during flights. One notable incident involved a captain who encountered a passenger dressed in a pilot’s uniform who was later identified as Loft, despite not being on the passenger list.
Another flight attendant reported seeing Repo’s face appear on an oven door during a flight. In some instances, these apparitions were said to provide warnings about potential dangers onboard, such as one instance where Repo allegedly warned about fire hazards.
Trivia[]
- Eastern Air Lines management publicly dismissed these ghost stories as mere folklore or urban legends. However, they took precautionary measures by removing all salvaged parts from their fleet that had originated from Flight 401. This action coincided with a noticeable decline in reported ghost sightings among their aircraft.
- The phenomenon surrounding Flight 401 has been documented extensively in literature and media over the years. John G. Fuller’s book “The Ghost of Flight 401” published in 1976 details many of these paranormal accounts and contributed significantly to the legend surrounding the flight.