Editing Eastern Air Lines (section)

==Accidents and incidents==
===Fatal accidents===
* August 10, 1937, Trip 7, a [[Douglas DC-2]] (NC13739), crashed on takeoff at [[Daytona Beach International Airport|Daytona Beach Municipal Airport]] after it struck a utility pylon during a nighttime take off, killing four of nine on board.<ref>{{ASN accident|title=NC13739|id=19370810-0|access-date=26 May 2016}}</ref>
* February 26, 1941, [[Eastern Air Lines Flight 21|Flight 21]], a [[Douglas DC-3|Douglas DST]], crashed near Atlanta in fog due to a misread altimeter, almost killing [[Eddie Rickenbacker]], who was traveling on airline business. His recovery in the hospital received broad press coverage; during his initial recovery, several incorrect news reports claimed that he had died. Of 16 on board, 8 died, including Congressman [[William D. Byron]]. [[Clara Littledale|Clara Savage Littledale]], editor of [[Parents (magazine)|''Parents'']] magazine, survived.<ref name="NAW">Littledale, Clara Savage. Edited by Barbara Sicherman, 1934- and Carol Hurd Green, 1935-; in Notable American Women: The Modern Period (Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1980), 458-459</ref> Littledale recounted her experience of the crash for ''Parents''.<ref name="NICELY">Hecht, G. J., & Clara, S. L. (1941, 05). Mrs. Littledale is doing nicely, thanks! Parents' Magazine, 16, 40.</ref>  Her husband, [[Pulitzer Prize]]–winning journalist [[Harold A. Littledale]], was paralyzed as a result of the crash.<ref name=news>{{cite news |title=H. A. Littledale, Writer Who Started NJ Prison Reforms |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/530565852/ |work=The News (Paterson, New Jersey, page 31) |agency=Newspapers.com |date=12 August 1957 |language=en}}</ref>
* July 12, 1945: [[Eastern Airlines Flight 45|Flight 45]], a [[Douglas DC-3|Douglas DC-3-201C]] (NC25647) flying from Washington, DC to [[Columbia, South Carolina|Columbia, SC]], collided in mid-air with [[USAAF]] [[A-26 Invader|A-26C Invader]] near Florence, South Carolina. The A-26 lost control and crashed; two crew parachuted but only one survived. The DC-3 executed a [[forced landing]] in a cornfield, killing one passenger, a two-year-old boy.<ref>[http://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=19450712-0 ASN Aircraft accident Douglas DC-3-201C NC25647 Florence, SC] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121022002426/http://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=19450712-0 |date=2012-10-22 }}. Aviation-safety.net (1945-07-12). Retrieved on 2013-08-16.</ref>
* September 7, 1945: Flight 42, a Douglas DC-3-201G (NC33631), crashed near Florence, South Carolina following an unexplained fire in the rear of the aircraft. Control was lost after the right elevator also caught fire and the aircraft crashed in a swampy, wooded area, killing all 22 on board.<ref>{{ASN accident|title=NC33631|id=19450907-0|access-date=26 May 2016}}</ref>
* December 30, 1945: Flight 14, a Douglas DC-3-201 (NC18123), overran the runway while landing at LaGuardia Airport after approaching too high and too fast, killing one of 14 of board.<ref>{{ASN accident|title=NC18123|id=19451230-0|access-date=26 May 2016}}</ref>
* January 18, 1946: Flight 105, a Douglas DC-3-201E (NC19970), crashed at Cheshire, Connecticut after a loss of control caused by wing separation, killing all 17 on board. A fire, caused by a fuel leak, started in the left engine and spread to the wing, causing it to collapse and fail.<ref>{{ASN accident|title=NC19970|id=19460118-0|access-date=26 May 2016}}</ref>
* January 12, 1947: Flight 665, a [[Douglas C-49]] (NC88872), crashed at Galax, Virginia after the pilot deviated from the flight route, killing 18 of 19 on board.<ref>{{ASN accident|title=NC88872|id=19470112-0|access-date=26 May 2016}}</ref>
* May 30, 1947: [[Eastern Air Lines Flight 605|Flight 605]], a [[Douglas DC-4]] en route from Newark to Miami, crashed near Bainbridge, Maryland, killing all 53 aboard. At the time, Flight 605 was the deadliest crash in United States aviation history. "Loss of control" was cited as the reason for the crash.
* January 13, 1948: Flight 572, a Douglas DC-3-201F (NC28384), crashed at Oxon Hill, Maryland after striking trees while on approach to Washington National Airport, killing five of nine on board; the aircraft was flying too low.<ref>{{ASN accident|title=NC28384|id=19480113-2|access-date=26 May 2016}}</ref>
* February 7, 1948: Flight 611, a [[Lockheed L-649 Constellation]] (NC112A), suffered a propeller blade separation over the Atlantic Ocean 156&nbsp;mi off Brunswick, Georgia. Three hours after takeoff, the number three propeller failed and a portion of a blade penetrated the fuselage, cutting control cables, electrical wires and engine controls and killing a crew member before exiting the fuselage on the opposite side. After this the front portion of the number three engine broke free and fell off. A rapid descent was initiated. At 12,000 feet the descent was stopped. Due to instrument failure the aircraft descended visually to 1,000 feet. On landing the number four engine was shut down and the brakes applied hard, which blew out a tire. Fires started in the landing gear and number four engine but were quickly extinguished. Despite the damage, the aircraft was repaired and returned to service.<ref>{{ASN accident|title=NC112A|id=19480207-0|access-date=26 May 2016}}</ref>
* November 1, 1949: [[Eastern Air Lines Flight 537|Flight 537]], a [[Douglas DC-4]] (N88727) on approach to [[Reagan National Airport|Washington National Airport]], collided in mid-air with a [[Lockheed P-38 Lightning]] being test-flown for acceptance by the Government of Bolivia, killing all 55 aboard the DC-4 and seriously injuring the pilot of the P-38. At the time it was the deadliest airliner crash in United States history.
* October 19, 1953: A [[Lockheed L-749A Constellation]] (N119A) from [[Idlewild International Airport]] to [[San Juan, Puerto Rico|San Juan]], [[Puerto Rico]], crashed shortly after takeoff, killing two of 27 on board.<ref name=ASN191053>{{cite web|url=http://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=19531019-0|title=Accident description|publisher=Aviation Safety Network|access-date=11 March 2010}}</ref>
* December 21, 1955: A Lockheed L-749A Constellation (N112A) crashed on approach to Jacksonville's Imeson Airport arriving from Miami, with further scheduled stops at Washington, DC, New York and Boston. Twelve passengers and a crew of five were killed.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://jacksonville.com/tu-online/stories/122105/met_20621930.shtml|title=The crash of Eastern Flight 642: 50 years later - Jacksonville.com|first=JESSIE-LYNNE|last=KERR}}</ref>
* October 4, 1960: [[Eastern Air Lines Flight 375|Flight 375]] (a [[Lockheed L-188 Electra]]) departing Boston's [[Logan International Airport]] for [[Philadelphia]] crashed on takeoff after [[bird strike|striking]] a flock of birds. Sixty-two of the 72 passengers and crew were killed.
* November 30, 1962: [[Eastern Air Lines Flight 512|Flight 512]] (a [[Douglas DC-7]]) crashed during a [[go around]] after failing to land due to fog at [[Idlewild Airport]] (now JFK) in [[New York City]]. Of the 51 passengers and crew on board, 25 were killed.
* February 25, 1964: [[Eastern Air Lines Flight 304|Flight 304]] (a [[Douglas DC-8]]) flying from New Orleans International Airport to [[Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport|Washington-National Airport]] crashed into [[Lake Pontchartrain]] en route due to "degradation of aircraft stability characteristics in [[Clear-air turbulence|turbulence]], because of abnormal longitudinal trim component positions." All 51 passengers and seven crew aboard were killed.
* February 8, 1965: [[Eastern Air Lines Flight 663|Flight 663]], a Douglas DC-7 departing from [[New York City]] to [[Richmond, Virginia]], crashed at [[Jones Beach State Park]] after takeoff from [[John F. Kennedy International Airport|JFK]] when it was forced to evade inbound [[Pan American World Airways|Pan Am]] Flight 212. All 84 on board died. The evasive action was blamed for causing the plane to lose control.
* December 4, 1965: Flight 853, a Lockheed L-1049C Super Constellation, [[1965 Carmel mid-air collision|collided]] with TWA Flight 42, a [[Boeing 707]], over Carmel, New York. The Constellation crashed on Hunt Mountain in North Salem, New York, killing four of 53 on board while the 707 landed safely with no casualties.
* December 29, 1972: [[Eastern Air Lines Flight 401|Flight 401]] (a brand new [[Lockheed L-1011]]) was preparing to land in [[Miami]], when the flight crew became distracted by a non-functioning gear light. The flight crashed in the [[Everglades]], killing 101 of 176 on board. This was the first major crash of a widebody jet aircraft.
* September 11, 1974: [[Eastern Air Lines Flight 212|Flight 212]], a [[McDonnell Douglas DC-9|Douglas DC-9-31]] carrying 78 passengers and four crew, crashed while conducting an [[instrument approach]] in dense ground fog at [[Charlotte/Douglas International Airport|Douglas Municipal Airport]]. The aircraft crashed just short of the runway, killing 72; three survivors subsequently died from their injuries. Killed on this flight were [[James William Colbert Jr.|James]], Peter, and Paul Colbert, the father and older brothers (respectively) of comedian [[Stephen Colbert]].<ref>[https://www.cbsnews.com/news/stephen-colbert-on-insincerity/ "Stephen Colbert On Insincerity"], ''[[60 Minutes]]'', April 27, 2006</ref>
* June 24, 1975: [[Eastern Air Lines Flight 66|Flight 66]], a [[Boeing 727]], crashed into runway approach lights as it penetrated a thunderstorm near the ILS localizer course line at [[John F. Kennedy International Airport|JFK]] in New York City, killing 113 passengers and crew. The official cause of the accident was a sudden high rate of descent, caused by severe downdrafts from the thunderstorm, and the continued use of the runway despite the hazardous weather. [[American Basketball Association|ABA]] basketball star [[Wendell Ladner]] was one of the passengers killed in the crash.
* January 1, 1985: [[Eastern Air Lines Flight 980|Flight 980]], a [[Boeing 727]] struck Mount [[Illimani]] on a flight from [[Silvio Pettirossi International Airport]] in [[Asunción, Paraguay]], to [[El Alto International Airport]] in [[La Paz, Bolivia]]. All 19 passengers and 10 crew were killed on impact.

===Non-fatal accidents and incidents===
[[File:Eastern Air Lines Lockheed L-749A crash Curles Neck Farm.jpg|thumb|Flight 601, the subject of a July 19, 1951 incident]]
* December 19, 1936: A Douglas DC-2-112 (NC13732) struck trees and crashed near Milford, Connecticut due to pilot error and radio problems; all 11 on board survived. The aircraft was leased from North American Aviation.<ref>{{ASN accident|title=NC13732|id=19361219-0|access-date=2 June 2016}}</ref>
* October 18, 1938: A Douglas DC-2-112 (NC13735) had engine failure while taking off from Montgomery, Alabama.  The engine caught fire and fell from the plane.  The plane struck a tree upon landing in a field just a few miles from the airport.  All 13 on board, including the crew of 3, survived with only the Captain, [[John David Hissong]], sustaining minor burns.
* April 3, 1941: A Douglas DC-3-201B (NC21727) crashed into water off Vero Beach, Florida during a storm; although all 16 on board were injured, none were killed. The aircraft was written off.<ref>{{ASN accident|title=NC21727|id=19410403-0|access-date=2016-06-02}}</ref>
* November 19, 1943: Trip 12, a Douglas DC-3-201E (NC19968), made an emergency landing at New Orleans en route from Houston after the pilot allowed the aircraft to descend too low during the second attempt to land. The number one propeller hit the water, causing portions of the engine and cowling to break off. All 15 on board survived. The aircraft was repaired and returned to service.<ref>{{ASN accident|title=NC19968|id=19431119-0|access-date=2016-06-02}}</ref>
* October 11, 1946: Flight 546, a [[Douglas C-54B]] (NC88729), struck a ridge near Alexandria, Virginia while on approach to Washington National Airport; all 26 on board survived. During the approach, the aircraft had descended too low.<ref>{{ASN accident|title=NC88729|id=19461011-0|access-date=2016-06-02}}</ref>
* December 19, 1946: Flight 605, a Douglas C-54B (NC88813) collided in mid-air with Universal Air Lines Flight 7, a Douglas C-47 (NC54374), near Aberdeen, Maryland. The C-47 departed Newark for Raleigh, while the C-54 departed Newark 15 minutes later for a non-stop flight to Miami. Near Aberdeen the C-54 flew past the C-47. The C-54 co-pilot saw the lights of an aircraft close and to the left of the C-54, which turned out to be the C-47. The C-54 pilot rolled into a right bank and forcefully pulled up the nose, causing the rear of the C-54 to strike the forward top portion of the C-47. The C-47 landed safely at Philips Army Air Field while the C-54 diverted to Washington. There were no casualties on either aircraft and both aircraft were repaired and returned to service.<ref>{{ASN accident|title=NC54374|id=19461219-1|access-date=2016-06-02}}</ref><ref>{{ASN accident|title=NC88813|id=19461219-2|access-date=2016-06-02}}</ref>
* January 21, 1948: Flight 604, a Lockheed L-649 Constellation (NC111A), crashed into a snow bank while landing at Logan International Airport following a loss of control due to a snow-covered runway; all 25 on board survived.<ref>{{ASN accident|title=NC111A|id=19480121-0|access-date=2016-06-02}}</ref>
* July 19, 1951: Flight 601, a Lockheed L-749A Constellation (N119A), suffered severe buffeting after an access door opened in flight. A flapless wheels-up landing was made at [[Curles Neck Farm]], Virginia. The aircraft was later repaired and returned to service.<ref name=ASN190751>{{cite web|url=http://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=19510719-0|title=Accident description|publisher=Aviation Safety Network|access-date=11 March 2010}}</ref>
* November 27, 1951: Flight 167, a Douglas DC-3-201C (N25646) collided in mid-air with [[Civil Air Patrol]] [[Piper L-4|Piper L-4J]] ''45-5151'' near Ocala, Florida. The Piper was climbing after a left turn when it struck the DC-3. The DC-3's number one propeller made several cuts in the Piper's left wing, causing a loss of control and the Piper crashed, killing the pilot. The DC-3 circled the airport for a few minutes before landing safely with no casualties.<ref>{{ASN accident|title=N25646|id=19511127-1|access-date=2016-06-02}}</ref>
* September 6, 1953: An L-1049 Super Constellation (N6214C) crashed on landing at McChord Air Force Base due to a hydraulic failure caused by engine problems; all 32 on board survived.<ref>{{ASN accident|title=N6214C|id=19530906-1|access-date=2016-06-03}}</ref>
* May 8, 1954: Eastern Air Lines Flight 2634W made an emergency landing at Naval Auxiliary Air Station Edenton (now [[Northeastern Regional Airport]])in [[Edenton, NC]]. All crew and passengers survived. This is according to a letter written by chairman of the board, Eddie Rickenbacker to Marine Air Base Squadron 14.
* February 17, 1956: [[Eastern Air Lines Flight 156]] crashed near [[Owensboro, Kentucky]], due to pilot error; all 23 on board survived. The aircraft stalled and crashed following an improperly executed final approach.<ref>{{ASN accident|title=N445A|id=19560217-1|access-date=2016-06-03}}</ref>
* March 10, 1957: A Martin 4-0-4 (N453A) crashed on landing at [[Standiford Field]] due to pilot error; all 34 on board survived. A portion of the left wing separated inboard of the number one engine due to excessive sink rate caused by the pilot's landing approach technique.<ref>{{ASN accident|title=N453A|id=19570310-1|access-date=2016-06-03}}</ref>
* June 28, 1957: A [[Douglas DC-7B]] (N808D) had just returned from a training flight and was taxiing to the maintenance hangar at [[Miami International Airport]] when it collided with a parked Eastern Air Lines L-1049 Super Constellation (N6212C) near the hangar. Fuel leaked and both aircraft caught fire and burned out.<ref>{{ASN accident|title=N6212C|id=19570628-0|access-date=26 May 2016}}</ref><ref>{{ASN accident|title=N808D|id=19570628-1|access-date=26 May 2016}}</ref>
* March 17, 1958: A [[Martin 4-0-4]] (N496A) (Flight # unknown) on final approach to [[Melbourne Orlando International Airport|Melbourne Municipal Airport]] in [[Melbourne, Florida]], struck an unmarked pile of gravel at the approach end of the runway. During the landing roll the landing gear collapsed, and the aircraft caught fire and burned. All 10 occupants (3 crew, 7 passengers) evacuated safely.<ref>{{ASN accident|id=19580317-0|access-date=May 4, 2021|title=N496A}}</ref>
* October 18, 1966: A Lockheed L-1049C Super Constellation (N6219C) caught fire during refueling at Miami after a fuel line ruptured, causing substantial damage to the wing.    The aircraft was written off, and broken up in June 1967.<ref>{{ASN accident|title=N6219C|id=19661018-1|access-date=2016-05-31}}</ref>
* May 18, 1972: Flight 346, a Douglas DC-9-31 (N8961E) landed hard at Fort Lauderdale International Airport, collapsing the landing gear and breaking off the tail; all ten on board survived.<ref>{{ASN accident|title=N8961E|id=19720518-1|access-date=2018-8-30}}</ref>
* November 27, 1973: Flight 300, a [[McDonnell Douglas DC-9]]-31 inbound from [[Pittsburgh International Airport]] to [[Akron-Canton Airport]] landed too far down the runway, hydroplaned and went off the end of the runway and over an embankment in fog, low ceilings, light rain and 1.5 mile visibility. The aircraft was severely damaged and written off. All 26 on board (5 crew, 21 passengers) survived with various injuries.<ref>{{ASN accident|id=19731127-2|access-date=2020-10-28|title=N8967E}}</ref>
* July 2, 1976: A Lockheed L-188 Electra (N5531) was blown up on the ground by a bomb at Logan International Airport.<ref>{{ASN accident|title=N5531|id=19760702-0|type=Criminal|access-date=2016-05-31}}</ref>
* September 26, 1978: Eastern Air Lines Flight 75, an L-1011, overtook [[Air Caribbean Flight 309]], a Beech 18, on approach to [[Luis Munoz Marin International Airport|Isla Verde International Airport]] in [[San Juan, Puerto Rico]]. There were no injuries on the Eastern airplane, but all six occupants on the Air Caribbean plane were killed when it plummeted and crashed on to a local bar. Eastern Airlines and the FAA later settled with family members of the six dead people as well as injured bar clients, paying them almost $5,700,000 for damages.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.leagle.com/decision/19811342517fsupp82511228|title=IN RE N-500L CASES &#124; 517 F.Supp. 825 (1981) &#124; upp82511228 &#124; Leagle.com|website=Leagle}}</ref>
* May 5, 1983: [[Eastern Air Lines Flight 855|Flight 855]], a Lockheed L-1011 TriStar, had all three engines shut down in flight. The pilot restarted one of the engines before returning to [[Miami International Airport]]. All 172 on board survived.
* April 21, 1984: Eastern Air Lines Flight 494, a DC-9, suffered an uncommanded deployment of [[Thrust reversal|reverse thrust]] during a flight from [[Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport|Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL)]] to [[Piedmont Triad International Airport|Piedmont Triad International Airport (GSO)]] in Greensboro, North Carolina, causing the aircraft to roll quickly to the right.  The flight crew disabled the affected engine and returned safely to Atlanta.  The pilots received the Air Line Pilots Association's Superior Airmanship Award for their handling of the incident.<ref name="alpa1984">{{cite web | url = https://www.alpa.org/news-and-events/air-line-pilot-magazine/the-landing-superior-airmanship | title = ALPA's Superior Airmanship Award | work = Air Line Pilots Association, Int'l | accessdate = 19 September 2023 | date = August 2019}}</ref>
* September 15, 1987: Flight 216, a Boeing 727 (N8857E), was seriously damaged in a [[hard landing]] in severe winds at [[Tulsa International Airport]]; the 55 passengers and 7 crew were not injured. The aircraft was inspected by mechanics at the [[American Airlines]] Tulsa maintenance base and cleared to fly; it was then flown to Kansas City and Chicago with passengers, only to be removed from service after skin wrinkles in the [[fuselage]] were noticed. A senior American Airlines official later conceded that the Tulsa mechanics "erred" in their inspection.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://app.ntsb.gov/pdfgenerator/ReportGeneratorFile.ashx?EventID=20001213X32134&AKey=1&RType=Final&IType=FA |title=NTSB Aviation Accident Final Report MIA87FA248 |publisher=[[National Transportation Safety Board]]|access-date= November 7, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Broyles |first=Gil |title=WRINKLES IN JET'S SKIN OVERLOOKED |url=https://infoweb.newsbank.com/apps/news/openurl?ctx_ver=z39.88-2004&rft_id=info%3Asid/infoweb.newsbank.com&svc_dat=AMNEWS&req_dat=1000BC63AFF86032&rft_val_format=info%3Aofi/fmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Actx&rft_dat=document_id%3Anews%252F0ED3CF5D4AAD9FDF |work=[[The Dallas Morning News]] |location=Dallas, Texas |date=September 19, 1987 |access-date=November 7, 2019 |quote="Our current thinking is that we erred,' said David Kruse, vice president of American's Maintenance and Engineering Center at Tulsa International Airport. }}</ref>
* December 27, 1987: Flight 573, a Douglas DC-9-31 (N8948E), landed hard at [[Pensacola Regional Airport]]. The nose gear touched down first, and the aircraft bounced and touched down again, breaking the passenger cabin aft of the wings. The plane stopped with its tail resting on the runway but all 103 passengers and 4 crew survived.<ref>{{ASN accident|id=19871227-1|access-date=October 6, 2018|title=N8948E}}</ref>
* January 18, 1990: Eastern Air Lines Flight 111, a Boeing 727 (N8867E), collided with an Epps Air Service [[Beechcraft King Air]] upon landing at Atlanta-William B. Hartsfield International Airport, Georgia. The plane received substantial damage, but all 149 passengers and 8 crew members survived unharmed. The plane was later repaired. The King Air was destroyed, with the pilot killed and the first officer seriously injured.<ref>{{ASN accident|id=19900118-2|access-date=August 19, 2020|title=N88867E}}</ref>

===Hijackings===
* 24 July 1961: Flight 202, a Lockheed L-188 Electra, was hijacked to Cuba. A fighter plane from Homestead AFB followed the airliner until it reached Cuban airspace.<ref>{{ASN accident|title=|id=19610724-0|type=Hijacking|access-date=2016-05-26}}</ref>
* September 20, 1968: Flight 950, a [[Boeing 720]], was hijacked to [[Cuba]].<ref>{{ASN accident|title=|id=19680920-2|type=Hijacking|access-date=2016-05-31}}</ref>
* February 3, 1969: Flight 7 was hijacked to Cuba. The presence of [[Candid Camera]] host [[Allen Funt]] on the flight led many of the passengers to conclude that the hijacking was actually a prank.<ref>{{cite web|title=Smile My Ass|url=http://www.radiolab.org/story/smile-my-ass/|website=RadioLab|publisher=[[WNYC]]|access-date=8 October 2015|ref=RadioLab}}</ref> Funt and others were later released after 11 hours of captivity.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://dangerousminds.net/comments/youre_not_on_candid_camera_allen_funt_was_on_hijacked_flight|title=You're NOT on 'Candid Camera': Allen Funt was on hijacked flight, passengers took it for a prank|date=October 1, 2013|website=DangerousMinds}}</ref>
* March 17, 1970: Both pilots of [[Eastern Air Lines Shuttle Flight 1320]], a DC-9-31 carrying 68 passengers and 5 crew, were shot by a deranged hijacker. The first officer was able to take the hijacker's gun and shoot him three times before succumbing to his own wounds. Despite gunshot wounds in both arms, the captain was able to fight off the wounded hijacker and land the aircraft safely.