After 37 Years The Eastern Airlines Flight 401 Tribute Group Locates and Indentify Wreckage From Aircraft N310EA

Despite the seasonal high water level within the Everglades, this piece from aircraft N310EA is still visible and after 37 years still appears to be in overall good condition concerning surface corrosion
Al Naranjo feels to see if the subject part may be moved, but soon learns that what is seen is actually the tip of the iceberg as further observation showed that this piece is over 8 feet long and about 3 feet wide. Recovery of this piece will require the part to be strapped and / or chained and hauled / broken free by either the airboats or a truck to be driven out on the levy A close up survey photograph displays heavy presence of "sealant" on the structure indicating that is may be part of an area which held fuel such as the wing and / or center tank areas. Also noted and worthy of mention that despite 37 years of sitting out there in the elements the "sealant" still had a slight rubber feel to it. Also the heavy rivet area displayed very little visible surface corrosion

Drawing on his diverse world experience of aircraft accident investigations and crash site reclamation with the London Lloyd's Syndicate, honorary group member Benny Benitez is "boots on ground" along with Al Naranjo and Bruce Brockhouse at the first identified area which exhibited a sizable part of aircraft wreckage from Eastern Airlines Lockheed L-1011 aircraft N310EA

Miami, Florida 12th September 2009: After 37 years surviving member of Eastern Airlines Flight 401 find themselves back to the site of the crash of their L-1011, N310EA, but this time they are not alone.

After a 40 min transit by the flotilla of air boats that comprised the survey team and through the area guidance of the good folks at the Air Boat Association of Florida, the group soon found themselves back at the crash site. It was amazing to see that after almost 37 years later bit and pieces of N310EA still lay undisturbed in the silence and remoteness that is the Everglades.

One such and notable piece of N310EA is shown above. It measured about 12 ft in length and at the widest about 4 1/2 feet wide and appears from its structure to be wing skin / section.

No effort was made to remove it as this visitation to the site was merely a survey, but in the future this could prove to be a good artifact to preserve from N310EA.

The subject part at the time of our survey laid in about 8 inches of water. The segment shown in the above photo is the point of one end.

It should be noted that noticeable reminisce of "gray sealant" was visible leading our theory that this may have been a section of the wing that housed a fuel cell. Further review shall be pending and final determination of the local piece shall be established.