Quite a few people know the story. On December 29, 1972, Flight 401 (operated by the now-defunct Eastern Air Lines) crashed into the Florida Everglades. More than half of the passengers died, while the crew suffered fewer fatalities. Two men who happened to be out frog gigging that night saw the crash and hurried to the scene, taking survivors to safety throughout the night and well into the following day.
When the voice recorder was recovered later, it revealed that Captain Bob Loft's last words before the crash were: "Hey - what's happening here?" Loft died at the scene of the crash, as did First Officer Albert Stockstill (who was killed on impact). Second Officer Don Repo was transported to the hospital, where he died of his injuries the following day.
After that, the tales began. Sightings of the late Bob Loft and Don Repo were reported by crew members on board other Eastern Air Lines planes. The ghosts were seen standing in the aisles, or in the cockpit or galley.
In 1973, one of the vice-presidents of Eastern Air Lines spotted a man in a captain's uniform on board his flight. The two men chatted briefly, and the VP simply assumed that the other man was the captain of that day's flight.
He wasn't.
A few months later, Loft was seen on another flight. Crew members spoke to him, then he suddenly vanished.
A flight engineer saw Don Repo sitting in the engineer's own seat. Repo told the engineer that he (Repo) had already done the pre-flight check. And then he vanished.
A passenger went into hysterics when the man sitting next to her suddenly vanished. She was concerned for the man, who looked unwell, and asked a flight attendant to help - and the figure then disappeared.
A flight attendant saw Repo's face looking at her from a galley oven. She brought two of her coworkers to see the apparition; all of them saw the face and heard a voice say, "Watch out for fire on this airplane." The last leg of the plane's route was canceled when engine trouble developed.
Did Loft and Repo come back to watch over other flights of Eastern Air Lines? According to many stories, they appeared on planes that had had parts from the ill-fated L-1011 fitted into them. However, that plane was thoroughly mangled in the crash, as photos show, and nothing usable was left.
Eastern Air Lines went out of business in 1991. If Loft and Repo were out to protect their former company's flights, they can rest easily now.
When the voice recorder was recovered later, it revealed that Captain Bob Loft's last words before the crash were: "Hey - what's happening here?" Loft died at the scene of the crash, as did First Officer Albert Stockstill (who was killed on impact). Second Officer Don Repo was transported to the hospital, where he died of his injuries the following day.
After that, the tales began. Sightings of the late Bob Loft and Don Repo were reported by crew members on board other Eastern Air Lines planes. The ghosts were seen standing in the aisles, or in the cockpit or galley.
In 1973, one of the vice-presidents of Eastern Air Lines spotted a man in a captain's uniform on board his flight. The two men chatted briefly, and the VP simply assumed that the other man was the captain of that day's flight.
He wasn't.
A few months later, Loft was seen on another flight. Crew members spoke to him, then he suddenly vanished.
A flight engineer saw Don Repo sitting in the engineer's own seat. Repo told the engineer that he (Repo) had already done the pre-flight check. And then he vanished.
A passenger went into hysterics when the man sitting next to her suddenly vanished. She was concerned for the man, who looked unwell, and asked a flight attendant to help - and the figure then disappeared.
A flight attendant saw Repo's face looking at her from a galley oven. She brought two of her coworkers to see the apparition; all of them saw the face and heard a voice say, "Watch out for fire on this airplane." The last leg of the plane's route was canceled when engine trouble developed.
Did Loft and Repo come back to watch over other flights of Eastern Air Lines? According to many stories, they appeared on planes that had had parts from the ill-fated L-1011 fitted into them. However, that plane was thoroughly mangled in the crash, as photos show, and nothing usable was left.
Eastern Air Lines went out of business in 1991. If Loft and Repo were out to protect their former company's flights, they can rest easily now.
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