Accident description
Last updated: 21 May 2013
| Status: | Final |
| Date: | 04 OCT 1960 |
| Time: | 17:40 |
| Type: | Lockheed L-188A Electra |
| Operator: | Eastern Air Lines |
| Registration: | N5533 |
| C/n / msn: | 1062 |
| First flight: | 1959 |
| Engines: | 4 Allison 501-D13 |
| Crew: | Fatalities: 3 / Occupants: 5 |
| Passengers: | Fatalities: 59 / Occupants: 67 |
| Total: | Fatalities: 62 / Occupants: 72 |
| Airplane damage: | Written off |
| Airplane fate: | Written off (damaged beyond repair) |
| Location: | ca 1 km E off Boston-Logan International Airport, MA (BOS) (United States of America)
 |
| Phase: | Initial climb (ICL) |
| Nature: | Domestic Scheduled Passenger |
| Departure airport: | Boston-Logan International Airport, MA (BOS/KBOS), United States of America |
| Philadelphia International Airport, PA (PHL/KPHL), United States of America | |
| Flightnumber: | 375 |
A few seconds after taking off from runway 05, the Electra struck a flock of starlings. A number of these birds were ingested in engine no.1, 2 and 4. Engine no. 1 was shut down and the prop feathered. Shortly after that the no. 2 and 4 engines experienced a substantial momentary loss of power. This caused the plane to yaw to the left and decelerate to stall speed. The left wing then dropped, the nose pitched up and the L-188 rolled left into a spin and fell almost vertically into the water.
PROBABLE CAUSE: "The unique and critical sequence of the loss and recovery of engine power following bird ingestion, resulting in loss of airspeed and control during takeoff. " Events:
Sources:
» Aviation Disasters / D. Gero
Sample newspaper article from Newspaperarchive.com
Follow-up / safety actions
The FAA started a research programme to improve tolerance of turbine engines to bird ingestion.
Photos
Map
This map shows the airport of departure and the intended destination of the flight. The line between the airports does not display the exact flight path.
Distance from Boston-Logan International Airport, MA to Philadelphia International Airport, PA as the crow flies is 447 km (279 miles).
Distance from Boston-Logan International Airport, MA to Philadelphia International Airport, PA as the crow flies is 447 km (279 miles).
Books
languages:
United States of America
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Lockheed L-188
United States of America- 7th worst accident (at the time)
- 47th worst accident (currently)