Eastern Airlines Flight 401
On the evening of December 29, 1972, Eastern Airlines flight 401 crashed into the Florida Everglades, killing 101 people. Any time a passenger plane crashes, it grabs our attention because so many lives are affected by the tragedy. But what makes this crash even more tragic is that it was completely avoidable.
While preparing to land in Miami, FL, the co-pilot noticed that a light bulb on the instrument panel wasn’t working, and he tried to replace it. Unsuccessful at his attempts to remove the burnt out bulb, the airplane was placed on auto-pilot and the pilot, himself, left his seat to assist him. However, somehow in the process, the auto-pilot was accidentally disengaged and while the pilot and co-pilot worked at replacing a burnt out light bulb, the plane slowly descended, and crashed.
Think of it.. 101 people died because more attention was given to a burnt out light bulb than flying and landing the airplane. Sad indeed, but every day, mistakes more monumental than this take place. In fact, someone reading this article right now may unwittingly be in a “descent” that will lead to his destruction if he continues to devote his attention to things of lesser importance.
Do you think people will someday meet God unprepared because they gave their attention to lesser things? Jobs, family, entertainment, social status, schooling, pleasure, wealth, etc. all have their place, but not at the expense of a “safe landing.”
Friends, don’t get so caught up with the distractions of this world (Matthew 13:22), that you fail to “land safely.” Give it some thought.