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The Ghost of Flight 401

  • TV Movie
  • 1978
  • 1h 40m
IMDb RATING
5.8/10
749
YOUR RATING
The Ghost of Flight 401 (1978)
DramaMysteryThriller

An aircraft crashes in the Florida Everglades, killing 103 passengers. After the wreckage is removed, salvageable parts from the plane are used to repair other aircraft. Soon passengers and ... Read allAn aircraft crashes in the Florida Everglades, killing 103 passengers. After the wreckage is removed, salvageable parts from the plane are used to repair other aircraft. Soon passengers and crew on those aircraft report seeing what they believe to be the ghost of the wrecked airp... Read allAn aircraft crashes in the Florida Everglades, killing 103 passengers. After the wreckage is removed, salvageable parts from the plane are used to repair other aircraft. Soon passengers and crew on those aircraft report seeing what they believe to be the ghost of the wrecked airplane's flight engineer.

  • Director
    • Steven Hilliard Stern
  • Writers
    • Robert Malcolm Young
    • John G. Fuller
  • Stars
    • Ernest Borgnine
    • Gary Lockwood
    • Tina Chen
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    5.8/10
    749
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Steven Hilliard Stern
    • Writers
      • Robert Malcolm Young
      • John G. Fuller
    • Stars
      • Ernest Borgnine
      • Gary Lockwood
      • Tina Chen
    • 19User reviews
    • 8Critic reviews
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • See production info at IMDbPro
    • Nominated for 1 Primetime Emmy
      • 1 nomination total

    Photos5

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    Top Cast30

    Edit
    Ernest Borgnine
    Ernest Borgnine
    • Dom Cimoli
    Gary Lockwood
    Gary Lockwood
    • Jordan Evanhower
    Tina Chen
    Tina Chen
    • Val
    Kim Basinger
    Kim Basinger
    • Prissy Frasier
    Tom Clancy
    Tom Clancy
    • Dutch
    Howard Hesseman
    Howard Hesseman
    • Bert Stockwell
    Russell Johnson
    Russell Johnson
    • Loft
    Robert F. Lyons
    Robert F. Lyons
    • Bill Bowdish
    Allan Miller
    Allan Miller
    • Les Garrick
    Alan Oppenheimer
    Alan Oppenheimer
    • Barton
    Carol Eve Rossen
    Carol Eve Rossen
    • Maria Cimoli
    • (as Carol Rossen)
    Eugene Roche
    Eugene Roche
    • Andrews
    Luis Avalos
    Luis Avalos
    • Rescuer
    Ted Hartley
    Ted Hartley
    Byron Morrow
    Byron Morrow
    • Bailey
    John Quade
    John Quade
    • Marshall
    Beverly Todd
    Beverly Todd
    • Dana
    Angela Clarke
    Angela Clarke
    • Mrs. Collura
    • Director
      • Steven Hilliard Stern
    • Writers
      • Robert Malcolm Young
      • John G. Fuller
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews19

    5.8749
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    Featured reviews

    Dethcharm

    "People Are Frightened Enough Of Flying As It Is!"...

    In THE GHOST OF FLIGHT 401, airline pilot, Dom Cimoli (Ernest Borgnine), boards a jet believing that it will be just another routine flight. Along with his crew, including Russell Johnson, Howard Hesseman, and ultra-perky flight attendant, Kim Bassinger, they take off with only a few passengers.

    Disaster strikes.

    Some time later, bizarre circumstances unfold, and ghostly visitations commence.

    While not what one might call terrifying, it is unsettling, and Borgnine is great in his ill-fated role. Another solid made-for-TV movie of its era...
    7Ron-181

    A good TV movie that strayed from the facts occasionally

    The true story of an Eastern Airlines L-1011 which crashed in the Everglades while making a long approach on Miami International Airport. It is surmised the pilot while distracted because of nose gear warning, inadvertently disengaged the auto pilot resulting in the plane crashing. Sightings of the dead crew were reported over the next several years by several dozen Eastern employees, who had known them. A true mystery of the supernatural. A film well worth watching.
    Cheryl-12

    A very creepy ghost story

    This movie was based on the true story of an airline pilot who was killed in a crash due to faulty parts in the plane. His ghost was reportedly seen by flight attendants and passengers on other flights after his death. It's a very creepy film, much in the style of "The Entity" and "Amityville Horror". If you like true ghost stories, you should like this made for television movie.
    thekingcrabjim

    There that night

    I was on the employee bus to the terminal with Dee Dee Welch that night. She was the gate agent who was working the inbound Flight 401 that night. It was a hellish night for everyone concerned at Eastern and more for the survivors of the crash and the relatives and friends waiting for the flights arrival.

    I left Eastern within a year after the crash. John Fuller tracked me down as most Eastern Airlines Employees would not talk to him. What I can tell you from a crew schedulers point of view is that I was having a hard time working around crews would over the next year walk of the aircraft each time they encounter the ghost of one of the crew members of Flight 401. My name is appears on pages 78 and 79 in the book "The Ghost of Flight 401."
    8fusster1-418-702614

    A surprisingly interesting movie.

    I remember seeing this movie as a teenager and I was riveted. It's based on a true story, and Ernest Borgnine plays Dom Cimoli, the flight engineer who, in the movie, went into the cargo hold to inspect the landing gear and put it down by hand if needed. The best part was the odd appearances of his ghost in other planes, which the other characters find out have parts salvaged from flight 401. Even his wife, we eventually learn, feels his presence in the bed beside her at night. It's as if he's making sure he keeps taking care of his family and continues his devotion to the airline he loved. As usual, a typically good Borgnine plays even a ghost and makes you like him.

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    Related interests

    Naomie Harris, Mahershala Ali, Janelle Monáe, André Holland, Herman Caheej McGloun, Edson Jean, Alex R. Hibbert, and Tanisha Cidel in Moonlight (2016)
    Drama
    Jack Nicholson and Faye Dunaway in Chinatown (1974)
    Mystery
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    Thriller

    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Kim Basinger's debut with scene actions.
    • Goofs
      When the engine fire breaks out on the New York City to Mexico City flight piloted by Captain Garrick as predicted by Dom Cimoli's ghost, the smoke is obviously drifting in a light breeze instead of being blown back into the airstream of an airliner in flight.
    • Quotes

      Dom Cimoli: [Bill Bowdish comes to the galley to see for himself if Dom's ghost is there] Watch out for fire on this airplane, Bill.

    • Connections
      Followed by Crash (1978)

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    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • February 18, 1978 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Der Geist von Flug 401
    • Production companies
      • Emmet G. Lavery Jr. Productions Inc.
      • Paramount Television
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      • 1h 40m(100 min)
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Mono
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.33 : 1

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