Captain Bob Loft and Second Officer Don Repo died in the crash, as did ninety-nine other people on board in what was one of the worst commercial air disasters in United States history. The flight was under the command of Captain Robert Loft, 55, a veteran Eastern Airline plot. Subscribe to our free newsletter and join our subscribers. Even more chilling, however, was the warning that all three of the flight attendants heard at the same time. The pilots tried again, they cycled the landing gear, but zilch; the confirmation light was off. Robert Bain Loft was born circa 1863. That was until the lady informed him that the man in question was dead. Over time, the reporting of ghost sightings stopped. In total, the flight crew and 97 of the 163 passengers were killed in the horrific crash, as . Fourteen survivors had various degrees of burns. This is a carousel with slides. cemeteries found within miles of your location will be saved to your photo volunteer list. Additional information. Mariners Learning System provides a methodical, well-organized . I don't blame you and would probably be thinking the same thing. And was informed by the dead officer, There will never be another crash! Captain Loft had been with the airline for 32 years and had accumulated a total of 29,700 flight hours throughout his flying career. This relationship is not possible based on lifespan dates. Are you sure that you want to report this flower to administrators as offensive or abusive? Fuller describes anecdotes of strange happenings aboard other Eastern aircraft. [1] As the plane made its way across the marshlands of the Florida Everglades, Stockstill is heard to say, We did something to the altitude. Photos larger than 8Mb will be reduced. Your email address will not be published. One noteworthy instance was when an Eastern Airlines vice president boarded the N318EA, one of the planes that used parts of the Lockheed L1011 Tristar. Continuing with this request will add an alert to the cemetery page and any new volunteers will have the opportunity to fulfill your request. Over the following months and years, employees of Eastern Air Lines began reporting sightings of the dead crew members, captain Robert Loft and second officer Donald Repo, sitting on board other L-1011 flights. . But first, lets talk about what happened to Flight 401. Parts of the aircraft that had crashed operating Flight 401 were salvaged after the crash investigation and refitted into other L-1011s. A TV movie. The crew of Flight 401, taken aboard Flight 26 while on the ground in Miami earlier the day of the crash. [4], Eastern Air Lines Flight 401 was a regularly scheduled flight from John F. Kennedy International Airport in Queens, New York, to Miami International Airport in Miami, Florida. The approach controller cleared the flight to climb to 2,000ft (610m), and then hold west over the Everglades. Monolith-Palooza II Romanian Monolith Disappears and Utahs Remover Appears, Japanese Dogman, Snow UFO, Bigfoot Food, Terrified Ghost Whisperer and More Mysterious News Briefly, Mummy Brains, UFO Abduction Rays, Ghost Nurse, Strange Tampa Boom Sounds and More Mysterious News Briefly. However, Captain Loft died before he could be rescued from the wreckage. Although Eastern Airlines were tight-lipped on the sightings, it quickly became one of the aviation industrys worst-kept secrets. Are you looking for something? By the time the person walked away, Don had also disappeared and the older woman was visible in her seat again. It appears this happened during the temporary commotion among the crew. Captain of Eastern Airlines Flight 401 from NYC to Miami which crashed in the Florida Everglades on December 29, 1972. Added in World of Warcraft: Legion. [15][16] Gossip regarding the sighting of the spirits of Don Repo and Bob Loft spread throughout Eastern Air Lines to the point where Eastern's management warned employees that they could face dismissal if caught spreading ghost stories. [16], While Eastern Air Lines publicly denied their planes were haunted, they reportedly removed all the salvaged parts from their L-1011 fleet. The television film The Ghost of Flight 401, which aired on NBC in February 1978, offers a fictionalized depiction of the crash and alleged ghost sightings. A Halloween Tale: Kennedy Airport, Flight 401 and the Walking Dead. Perhaps the final conversation heard by the control tower between Captain Loft and First Officer Stockstill is the best place to start when unfolding the tragic circumstances of 29th December 1972. [6]:110, Investigation into the aircraft's autopilot showed that the force required to switch to CWS mode was different between the A and B channels (15 and 20lbf or 65 and 90N, respectively). Thanks for using Find a Grave, if you have any feedback we would love to hear from you. Posted in. Captain Robert 'Bob' Loft believed that it was just a faulty light bulb. Please try again later. On December 29, 1972, Eastern Air Lines Flight 401 took off from New York on its way to Miami. based on information from your browser. On the day of the crash, Flight 401 was operated using a Lockheed L-1011-1 TriStar (registration N310EA), which had been delivered to the airline on August 18, 1972. Is this inscription on the Great Pyramid similar to the strange hieroglyphics of Roswell UFO? You have chosen this person to be their own family member. . The account of the crash and its outcome was documented inJohn G. Fullers 1976 bookThe Ghost of Flight 401. Bound for Miami, Flight 401 took off from New York's JFK at 9:20 p.m. And one of the better-documented cases of the existence of something beyond death. Edgar Allen Poe By Portfolio Editor Roz Hamlett Unlike many ghost tales, this one - which originated . An original floorboard from Flight 401 remains in the archives at History Miami in South Florida. The fuselage finally made contact with the ground and everything lid up in Halloween orange and blazing yellow hues. Your Scrapbook is currently empty. Marquis received burns to his face, arms, and legsa result of spilled jet fuel from the crashed TriStarbut continued shuttling people in and out of the crash site that night and the next day. This was the first fatal crash of a wide-body aircraft. John Stockstill is the first officer and Robert Loft is the captain. Robert FitzRoy (1805-1865) was the captain of HMS Beagle, which sailed around the world with Charles Darwin on board.FitzRoy is often remembered as the grim argumentative man who was vulnerable to fits of temper and depression, and eventually took his life. chime located under the engineers workstation the same engineer that was down below checking the status of the wheels. As he was a VIP, the vice presidents was allowed on . by Nicos Kaloyirou. They failed to notice that the autopilot had inadvertently been disconnected and, subsequently, the aircraft gradually lost altitude and crashed. The home is a 2-pen structure with a large sleeping loft running the entire second floor. Remove advertising from a memorial by sponsoring it for just $5. You are only allowed to leave one flower per day for any given memorial. Also known as Robert Laudat, Robert Loft. Captain Bob Loft and Second Officer Don Repo died in the crash, as did ninety-nine other people on board in what was one of the worst commercial air disasters . At 23:32 the plane began making its approach to Miami International Airport. It was the first fatal crash involving not only the Lockheed TriStar, but, indeed, a widebody aircraft of any kind. The author does not own the rights to this content. Sightings of Don Repo would continue sporadically for several years before Eastern Airlines closure in 1991. The other crew members assisted Stockstill, but he also became distracted by the problem. He accompanied 3 survivors on the helicopter to the hospital including a flight attendant and passenger who lost her baby in the crash. The Fraser Island Humanoid Encounter Contact On The Beach! Sightings of the spirits of Don Repo and Robert Loft spread throughout Eastern Air Lines to the point where Easterns management warned employees that they could face dismissal if caught spreading ghost stories. On his 1979 album Three Hearts, musician Bob Welch also recorded a song titled "The Ghost of Flight 401". The flight was under the command of Captain Robert Albin (Bob) Loft, age 55, a veteran pilot ranked 50th in seniority at Eastern Air Lines. Marcus Lowth is a writer with a love for UFOs, aliens, and the Ancient Astronaut Theory, to the paranormal, general conspiracies, and unsolved mysteries. He married Sarah Taylor on 3 October 1614, in Hertfordshire, England. Three of the 4 cockpit crew members, two of the 10 flight attendants, and 96 of the 163 passengers were killed; there were 75 survivors. Weve updated the security on the site. However, they appeared to be fixing the oven. The Everglades were rushing towards them. Investigators believe the autopilot switched modes when the captain accidentally leaned against the yoke while turning to speak to the flight engineer, who was sitting behind and to the right of him. [5]:23 Investigators believe this was due to the crew being distracted by the nose gear light, and because the flight engineer was not in his seat when it sounded, so would not have been able to hear it. A system error has occurred. Resend Activation Email. Some high-ranking employees and pilots would do so only under the cover of anonymity. Perhaps the spirits (energies?) Try again later. [6]:110 Visually, since it was nighttime and the aircraft was flying over the darkened terrain of the Everglades, no ground lights or other visual signs indicated the TriStar was slowly descending. He had at least 5 sons and 3 daughters with Mary Macallum. The co . For memorials with more than one photo, additional photos will appear here or on the photos tab. Robert Loft, First Officer Albert Stockstill and Second Officer Donald Repo steered Flight 401 toward Miami International Airport after an uneventful flight from New York. Mr. Loft was born in Vancouver, Wash., on Aug. 2, 1944. Things swam below the surface of the swamp, things dressed in rags and tattered clothes. With the aircraft in mid-turn, the left wingtip cracked into piece against the surface first, it was followed by the left engine and the left landing gear. The town is just 20 miles north of Miami, and its beaches are a hit with retirees, snowbirds, and Quebecoise who j Florida is a strange place. [5]:3, The flight was routine until 23:32, when the plane began its approach into Miami International Airport. This person greeted the male (in his late 40s or early 50s) who was wearing a pilots uniform and a captains hat that read Eastern Air Lines. cemeteries found within kilometers of your location will be saved to your photo volunteer list. Robert lived in 1891, at address, Kentucky. This was, according to Singleton, "sometime after Columbus but before all the new scientific technology came about." The book explained the science of simple navigation with simple and easy instructions, real-life exercises, detailed diagrams, and straightforward . About 490 feet (150m) from the wingtip's initial contact with the ground, the massive fuselage had begun to break up, scattering components from the underfloor galley, the cargo compartments, and the cabin interior. On the approach to Runway 9L for landing at Miami, First Officer Albert Stockstill, the pilot 920401 Robert Loft55Albert Stockstill39Donald Repo51 4L-1011 , musician Bob Welch also recorded a song titled The Ghost of Flight 401. And recently, one passenger has come forward explaining their paranormal encounter. . Please check your email and click on the link to activate your account. Robert Serling's 1980 book From the Captain to the Colonel tells the complete history of Eastern Airlines, from 1935 when it was headed . said Loft at 11:42 p.m., seconds before flight tower . Fuller recounts stories of paranormal events aboard other Eastern aircraft and the belief that these were caused by equipment salvaged from the wreckage of Flight 401. Some quick-thinking actions such as singing Christmas carols to keep up hope and attract the rescue teams attention, as flashlights were not part of the regular equipment on commercial airliners at the time, ended up proving invaluable during the crisis. Our motto always is, "you make up your own mind". When the woman produced a photo of the man, the attendant beamed to confirm that was him. Robert Albin Loft believed it was just a faulty bulb issue. Captain Robert Nairac, a British spy, was murdered by the Irish Republican Army. JAMES ROBERT ''BOB'' LOFT , 55, of Aurora died Nov. 23. Parts of Flight 401s ruins can also be found in Ed and Lorraine Warrens Occult Museum in Monroe, Connecticut. [6]:102,108 Stockstill was killed on impact, while Captain Loft died in the wreckage of the flight deck before he could be transported to a hospital. Frank Borman, a former NASA astronaut and Eastern's senior vice president of operations, was awoken at home by a phone call explaining of a probable crash. Long was born on 7 November 1967 to Michael and Charlotte Long in Tishomingo, OK. Many believe they have seen his ghost, however, and that of his black horse, near the main terminal. Many of them were happy to tell of their experiences. [5]:4 The engineer (Repo) had gone below, and no indication was heard of the pilots' voices recorded on the CVR that they heard the chime. The individual looked outside to see what the pilot was looking at and after turning to look back at the next seat over, Robert Loft had disappeared. Al DeSa April 17, 2007, 10:46 am Back to index. Captain Robert F. Hight, Jr. is the information warfare chair and senior intelligence officer at the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, CA. Robert Loft, 55; First Officer Albert Stockstill, 39, and Second Officer Donald Repo, 51, all of Miami-Dade. Please complete the captcha to let us know you are a real person. Aside from Casper The Friendly Ghost, Slimer from The Real Ghostbusters cartoon series and romantic comedies involving pottery wheels, when we hear about ghosts, the first thing that comes to mind normally is fear and being in danger. New Year was two days away and Miami was a hot and sexy place to celebrate the occasion. The two pilots, Captain Robert Loft and First Officer Albert Stockstill, Flight Engineer Donald Repo, 96 passengers and 2 flight attendants died. Everyone in the cockpit was fascinated and fixated on the damn light. MYSTERIESRUNSOLVED & MRU MEDIA, 2019-2022. Mariners Learning System is a leading provider of technology-based learning solutions focused towards educating the boating community. There were two different tv films made in 1978 about the crash of the L-1011 Jet Flight 401 in December 1972 where almost 100 people died. Footage of the incident appeared in the film Days of Fury (1980), directed by Fred Warshofsky and hosted by Vincent Price. And the paranormal encounter occurred over the Florida Everglades where the accident took place. The entire article and the contents within are published by, wholly-ownedandcopyright of UFO Insight. Their airboat crashing through the marshland at burning debris. After lowering the gear, First Officer Stockstill noticed that the landing gear indicator, a green light identifying that the nose gear is properly locked in the "down" position, had not illuminated. You can customize the cemeteries you volunteer for by selecting or deselecting below. The plane dropped around 500 feet, but no one among the crew realized it as their systems didnt register the drop. [5]:13. . He may have established Glenury Royal distillery, but the whisky achievements of Captain Robert Barclay Allardice pale in comparison with his other exploits. Morris Town Aprl 28th 1777. [14], Over the following months and years, stories began circulating that employees of Eastern Air Lines, and numerous passengers, had reported sightings of the dead crew members, captain Robert Loft and second officer (flight engineer) Donald Repo, sitting on board other L-1011s (including, in particular, N318EA). The flight is uneventful. These reports received extensive publicity by the news media. [22] Eastern considered suing for libel, based on assertions of a cover-up by Eastern executives, but Borman opted not to, feeling a lawsuit would merely provide more publicity for the book. He was a master mechanic. The damn light simply wouldnt turn on. 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