Shortly before midnight on December 29, 1972, the Lockheed L-1011-1 TriStar crashed into the Florida Everglades,[1][2][3] causing 101 total fatalities. Above him, Capt. "The boundaries between life and death are at best shadowy and vague. Live PTR Beta. This individual was sitting in a window seat with nobody else in the next seat or in front of this person. You should read this article with an open mind and come to a conclusion yourself. As it turned out, Robert Loft was in fact the name of the pilot and Don Repo was the flight engineer who both passed away in the crash. Date: 29.12.1972. Suddenly the plane plunged 250ft in 70 seconds; an altitude warning went off Cchordchime located under the engineers workstation the same engineer that was down below checking the status of the wheels. Cremated, Ashes given to family or friend, https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/17211647/robert-albin-loft. . 50 seconds later the plane, once more nosedived, again, this time losing more than half its assigned altitude. His flight crew included First Officer Albert Stockstill, 39 and . His flight crew were all experienced veterans. Learn more about managing a memorial . Flight 401 departed JFK Airport in New York on Friday, December 29, 1972, at 21:20, with 163 passengers and 13 crew members on board. [12][13] The training is designed to make problem solving in a cockpit much more efficient, thus causing less distraction for the crew. Include gps location with grave photos where possible. Mysterious unknown script By Newton Stone, Recent skeletal DNA analysis proves German, Danish & Dutch origins of the English people. . Incongruously, not far from the roofless fuselage center section with the inner portion of the starboard wing still attached, lay a large, undamaged and fully inflated rubber dinghy, one of a number carried on the TriStar in the event of an emergency water landing. He graduated in 1990 with a Bachelor of Science degree. Stockstill tried to remove the bulb. On his 1979 album Three Hearts, musician Bob Welch also recorded a song titled "The Ghost of Flight 401". Over the following months and years, rumors began circulating that employees of Eastern Air Lines were reporting sightings of the dead crew members, captain Robert Loft and second officer (flight engineer) Donald Repo, sitting on board other L . Thank you for fishing with us! [5]:4 In the next 70 seconds, the plane lost only 250ft (76m), but this was enough to trigger the altitude warning C-chord chime located under the engineer's workstation. 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. The crash was featured in season five of the Discovery Channel Canada / National Geographic TV series Mayday, in a 2009 episode called "Fatal Distraction".[9]. Only when he vanished into thin air did he suspect it was one of the ghost pilots whom so many employees spoke about. Oops, we were unable to send the email. As spine-tingling as other ghostly aerial sightings are, however, the ones connected to Flight 401 are arguably the most consistent. There was nothing particularly memorable about the route, every pilot and flight crew in Eastern Air Lines had one time or another cut their teeth on that routine flight path. [5]:5. "[5]:2324, In response to this and other accidents in the 1970s, many airlines started crew resource management training for their pilots. Accueil; Prsentation; Dpollution; Nos vhicules; Nos pices Of the 176 people on board, 101 died. cemeteries found within kilometers of your location will be saved to your photo volunteer list. Are you adding a grave photo that will fulfill this request? Parts of Flight 401s ruins can also be found in Ed and Lorraine Warrens Occult Museum in Monroe, Connecticut. Always up to date. Flight 401 was under the command of Captain Robert Albin Loft, 55, a veteran Eastern Airline pilot. Specters peered from the gloom into the awestruck eyes of hunters. (Rob and Sarah Elder, "Crash") In command of flight 401 that night were three pilots: Captain Robert Loft, First Officer Albert Stockstill, and Flight Engineer Donald Repo. He began a conversation with who he thought was the pilot on his plane in the first-class section. Spooky tales unfolding high above us in planes shuffling people from one destination on the planet to another are, in certain circles, more common than we might think. 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. Robert A.Loft - Capt. However, Captain Loft died before he could be rescued from the wreckage. The Captain, along with one of 2 flight crew members, two of 10 flight attendants and . Captain Loft Character Analysis. Stockstill: Were still at 2,000 feet, right? Now, though, it seemed they were acting as guardians over their former employers flights. He was a member of Gold Prospectors of the Rockies and the National Rifle Association. Join MU Plus+ and get exclusive shows and extensions & much more! Robert Bain Loft in England & Wales, Death Index, 1837-2005. We publish books on both Kindle and paperback. She made her report to the serving flight engineer who promptly informed her he was the only engineer on board the flight. 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. He also named the mighty Columbia River after his ship, SS Columbia Rediviva. Robert B Loft was born circa 1864, at birth place, Kentucky. We do not aim to prove nordisprove any of the theories, cases, or reports. . The majority of those who passed away were seated in the middle section of the plane. In early 1973, the captain of an Eastern flight from Newark to Miami was told that there was a passenger in first class not listed on the flight manifest, attired in an Eastern Airlines captain . Under the command of Captain Robert Albin Loft, an expert navigator rated 50th in seniority at Eastern. Subsequent to these press stories, The Ghost of Flight 401 was published in 1976. Eastern Air Lines Flight 401 was a Lockheed L-1011-1 Tristar jet that crashed into the Florida Everglades at 11:42pm December 29, 1972, causing 101 fatalities (99 initial crash fatalities, two died shortly afterward). Eddie Albert starred as "Dunn", a fictionalized version of Captain Robert Loft. Flight 401 made three trails through the sawgrass, breaking into pieces as it circled on its axis in the Everglades National Park. . One of them had worked with the dead pilot years earlier and positively identified him. Required fields are marked *. The flight departed JFK Airport on Friday, December 29, 1972, at 9:20 PM, with 163 passengers and a total of 13 crew members on board. Family members linked to this person will appear here. Loft and Repo had indeed lost their lives that December evening in 1972. 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. The author does not own the rights to this content. Close this window, and upload the photo(s) again. It crashed on the ground within 4 minutes. Robert married Emma Loft. Some of Flight 401s equipment was salvaged and repurposed for other crafts of the Eastern fleet. This account has been disabled. Related To Victoria Loft, Joan Loft, John Loft, Rebecca Loft. Make sure that the file is a photo. That's because last year, my flight from Chicago to Miami was visited by ghosts - and I'm pretty sure it was the crew Eastern Airlines Flight 401. Captain Robert 'Bob' Loft believed that it was just a faulty light bulb. Services were Nov. 30, with inurnment at Fort Logan National Cemetery. Required fields are marked *. But first, lets talk about what happened to Flight 401. After graduating Dubuque Senior High School in 1936, Captain Martin enrolled at Iowa State University where he graduated with an electrical engineering degree and a pilot's license. Includes Address (11) Phone (6) Email (2) See Results. This is a carousel with slides. Captain Robert Cleveland was born in Virginia around 1744 and moved with his family to western North Carolina around 1766. On Dec. 29, 1972, Eastern Flight 401 from New York to Miami took off from . Oops, some error occurred while uploading your photo(s). Receive the latest articles directly in your inbox weekly. Please ensure you have given Find a Grave permission to access your location in your browser settings. Whether or not there is a connection to the incidents that would follow, many rescue workers would report seeing and hearing strange things in the Everglades in the days and weeks that followed the crash. [5]:4 This altitude alert, designed to warn the pilots of an inadvertent deviation from the selected altitude, went unnoticed by the crew. The crash occurred while the entire flight crew were preoccupied with a burnt-out landing gear indicator light. [6]:101 The pilots cycled the landing gear, but still failed to get the confirmation light. New Year was two days away and Miami was a hot and sexy place to celebrate the occasion. In the cockpit: Capt. BOWEN, ROBERT Ancestor #: A012726 Service: VIRGINIA Rank: CAPTAIN Birth: 1740 AUGUSTA CO VIRGINIA Death: 25 Aug 1817 HICKMAN CO TENNESSEEService Source: SUMMERS, HIST OF SW VA 1746-1786, WASHINGTON CO, 1777-1870, P 853 Service Description: 1) COL WILLIAM CAMPBELL, MAJ WILLIAM EDMISTON 2) WASHINGTON CO MILITIA Supernatural, Ghosts & Hauntings. Fortunately, it managed to make an emergency landing. 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. Spooked me silly. He finally noticed the hiccup but it was too late. 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. The following conversation was recovered from the flight voice recorder later: Less than 10 seconds after this exchange, the jetliner crashed: The location was west-northwest of Miami, 18.7mi (30.1km) from the end of runway 9L. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Maybe the salvaged pieces of Flight 401s wreckage also contained the final energies of the crew. 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 . Your email address will not be published. His flight crew included First Officer Albert John "Bert" Stockstill, 39, who had 5,800 hours of flying experience (with 306 of them in the L-1011), and Flight Engineer Donald Louis "Don" Repo, 51, who had 15,700 hours of flying experience, with 53 of them in the L-1011. Failed to report flower. And when you're aboard Fish Tales Fishing Charters with Captain Robert, you're guaranteed to have a great time. Loft, a tall and trim 55 year old had been flying for Eastern Airlines since the days of Eddie Rickenbacker. October 4, 2021. 2 tail-mounted engine, and remains of the empennagefinally came to rest substantially further forward than other major sections, was probably the result of the No. Real Paranorms. They, nonetheless, reportedly removed all the salvaged parts from their L-1011 fleet. From this point on, the breakup of the fuselage became more extensive, scattering metal fragments, cabin fittings, and passenger seats widely. The other crew members assisted Stockstill, but he also became distracted by the problem. From Captain Robert McKenzie. Robert Loft, the captain of Flight 401, was killed. Alligators coming out in hordes to feast, snakes attacking rescue workers, organisms in the swamp infecting wounds and causing irreparable damage. I was just frog gigging went, a face looked up at me from below the surf. When the main part of the fuselage hit the ground, it continued to move through the grass and water, breaking up as it went. [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. COPYRIGHT UNSOLVED MYSTERIES & PARANORMAL ACTIVITIES, 2017-2018. There was a problem getting your location. [5]:4 For the next 80 seconds, the plane maintained level flight. [5]:23 In this mode, once the pilot releases pressure on the yoke (control column or wheel), the autopilot maintains the pitch attitude of the aircraft until the yoke is again moved. It is arguably one of the strongest indicators of the presence beyond death on record. JAMES ROBERT ''BOB'' LOFT , 55, of Aurora died Nov. 23. [6], 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. There is a problem with your email/password. Flashlights are now standard equipment near jumpseats, and all jumpseats are outfitted with shoulder harnesses. For more tales of the macabre, check out our blog. Darrell H. Bardstown, Kentucky. [19] Pieces of Flight 401's wreckage can also be found in Ed and Lorraine Warren's Occult Museum in Monroe, Connecticut.[20]. Use Escape keyboard button or the Close button to close the carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate, or jump to a slide with the slide dots. And the damn light It was just a burned-out lightbulb. Investigators concluded the planes lower altitude by saying, the crew was distracted by the nose gear light, and because the flight engineer was not in his seat when the lower altitude warning sounded, so would not have been able to hear it. While the crew was focused on the landing gear indicator, the plane unknowingly came down at a lower altitude and abruptly crashed. In another 50 seconds, the plane was at half its assigned altitude. By Isabelle Resnick In 1979, Captain Robert R. Singleton published the first edition of You'll Never Get Lost Again. Robert A.Loft. The area, an inhospitable and incredibly inaccessible place, proved to be a logistical nightmare for rescue workers. Are you sure that you want to delete this memorial? A further sighting is even more spine-tingling. The Fraser Island Humanoid Encounter Contact On The Beach! Robert Loft, 55, a seasoned pilot with 32 years under his belt. The crash was followed by reports of the appearance of apparitions of Flight 401 crew members, including Captain Loft, on subsequent flights. It was a pleasure to meet and fish with you and Daniel! Sightings of the pilots on Eastern Airlines planes began in the immediate months following the accident. And the paranormal encounter occurred over the Florida Everglades where the accident took place. Robert Albin "Bob" Loft. Officer Repo died the next day at the hospital. Post a Response. The pilots removed the light assembly and an engineer was sent down below to confirm via a small porthole if the landing gear had deployed or not. Dubuque Regional Airport 11000 Airport Road Dubuque, IA 52003 Phone: 563-589-4128 However, they appeared to be fixing the oven. Your email address will not be published. Faye Merryweather was a serving flight attendant for Eastern Airlines in the mid-1970s. They failed to notice that the autopilot had inadvertently been disconnected and, subsequently, the aircraft gradually lost altitude and crashed. 2) He first entered the service in 1776. Cockpit area microphone (CAM): [Sound of click], CAM: [Sound of six beeps similar to radio altimeter increasing in rate]. He served in the Navy as an AO2 aerographer. He wished her to tell this lady that he was OK. A little perplexed the woman passed along the message to the lady. She has written articles for several online websites, and had an article published in a Canadian magazine on the most haunted locations in Atlantic Canada. Your email address will not be published. Coincidence? Some of Flight 401s equipment was salvaged and repurposed for other crafts of the Eastern fleet. The details included in the articleare based on the reports, accounts and documentation available as provided bywitnesses and publications - sources/references are published above. Thanks for your help! The flight progressed normally until about 11:30. Aug 09, 2019. The celebrated explorer Captain Robert Falcon Scott (1868-1912) also famously took part in the race to claim the South Pole in 1911, but sadly failed in his mission and died on his return journey. At this moment, the First Officer Albert Stockstill noticed that the landing gear indicator was not illuminating. The flight was routine until 23:32 when the plane began its approach into Miami International Airport. The flight was under the command of Captain Robert Albin Loft, a 32-year-veteran of Eastern Air Lines. Stockstill unaware of the altitude difference made a 180 turn. This account already exists, but the email address still needs to be confirmed. Some high-ranking employees and pilots would do so only under the cover of anonymity. Includes Address (8) Phone (11) Email (2) See Results. These reports received extensive publicity by the news media. Cases, or reports 1979 album Three Hearts, musician Bob Welch recorded! 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