The worst bird strike, based on fatalities, was Eastern Air Lines Flight 375 on October 4, 1960.
This incident, which occurred shortly after takeoff from Boston's Logan International Airport, resulted in 62 fatalities out of 72 people on board. A flock of European starlings was ingested into the engines of the Lockheed L-188 Electra, causing engine damage and a subsequent aerodynamic stall. The aircraft crashed into Winthrop Bay.
| Accident | Eastern Air Lines Flight 375 |
|---|---|
| Date | October 4, 1960 |
| Summary | Bird strike leading to engine damage and aerodynamic stall |
| Site | Winthrop Bay, near Logan International Airport, Boston, Massachusetts, United States |
| Fatalities | 62 |
| Aircraft | Lockheed L-188 Electra |
| Cause | Ingestion of starlings into engines |
While other bird strikes have caused significant damage and near-disasters (such as US Airways Flight 1549, the "Miracle on the Hudson"), Eastern Air Lines Flight 375 remains the deadliest documented case based on the number of lives lost. This tragedy highlighted the dangers of bird strikes and led to improvements in bird control measures at airports and engine design to better withstand bird ingestion.
