
12 January 1959: The Lockheed L-188 Electra made its first commercial passenger flight when Eastern Air Lines Flight 602 departed Miami International Airport, Miami, Florida, at 9:30 a.m., Eastern Standard Time. The destination was Montreal, Quebec, Canada, with an intermediate stop at New York City.
Eastern had received eight or nine of the new Electras prior to this flight. Which specific airplane was used is not known.
Which specific airplane is not known. Eastern Air Lines had received eight or nine L-188s prior to the 12 January flight.¹
The Lockheed L-188A Electra had made its first flight at the Lockheed Air Terminal,² Burbank, California, 6 December 1957.

The Lockheed Model 188A Electra is a four-engine, low-wing, commercial airliner with retractable tricycle landing gear, and powered by four turboprop engines. It was operated by a pilot, co-pilot and flight engineer, and could carry a maximum of 98 passengers. The L-188A was the first production variant. It is 104 feet, 6.5 inches (31.864 meters) long, with a wingspan of 99 feet, 0.00 inches (30.175 meters), and overall height of 32 feet, 11.6 inches (10.048 meters). The Electra had an empty weight of 57,400 pounds (26,036 kilograms), and maximum takeoff weight (MTOW) of 113,000 pounds (51,256 kilograms).
The L-188A Electra’s cruise speed is 324 knots (373 miles per hour/600 kilometers per hour), and its maximum speed, 389 knots (448 miles per hour/720 kilometers per hour). The Critical Mach Number (Mcr) was 0.711. It could climb at 1,970 feet per minute (10 meters per second). Its service ceiling is 28,400 feet (8,656 meters), and its maximum range, 2,410 nautical miles (2,773 statute miles/4,463 kilometers) or 1,900 nautical miles (2,186 statute miles/3,519 kilometers) at maximum payload.
The L-188 was involved in two fatal crashes believed to be caused by “whirl mode flutter:” Braniff International Airways Flight 542, 29 September 1959, and Northwest Orient Flight 710, 17 March 1960. A problem with the engine mounts caused cracks to the gear box mountings. Oscillations were transferred to the wings and resulted in wing failures.
The airplanes were also very noisy, resulting in passenger complaints. Lockheed redesigned the engine nacelles to deal with this problem.
Lockheed built only 170 Electras. They were produced from 1957 to 1961.
¹ (The first four L-188s, L/N 1001–1004, had been retained by Lockheed as test beds before being sold on.)
N5501 (l/n 1005) to EAL in January 1959 (exact date not known); leased to SAM Columbia 9/69 as HK-554; returned to EAl 3/77 as N5501E; sold to Argentine Navy 4/77 for P-3 spare parts
N5502 (l/n 1007) to EAL 23 October 1958. To Air Manila PI-C1061 1 December 1971; RP-C1061 Nov 1974. Crashed 4 Jun 1976
N5503 (l/n 1008) to EAL Oct 1958. To Air Manila PI-C1062 Mar 1972; RP-C1062 June 74; wfu an dstd MNL Jan 75
N5504 (l/n 1009) to EAL 2 Nov 1958 WFU Dec 1977; converted to freighter to Zantrop International Airlines 20 Oct 1978; DBR 21 Mar 82 hangar collapse
N5505 (l/n 1010) to EAL Nov 1958; leased to SAM Columbia HK-1274 Nov 1971; hijacked 30 May 1973; returned to EAL but not operated, N5505, N5505C. American jet Industries Mar 1978
N5506 (l/n 1011) to EAL Dec 1958. To Copa Airways HP-579 Oct 1971, WFU and STD MHV Dec 1985
N5507 (l/n 1012) EAL Nov 1958 WFU Oct 1970; converted to freighter, Zantrop International Airlines Jan 78; Turboprop Ventures Sep 2006
N5509 (l/n 1013) to EAL Nov 1958; leased to SAM Columbia HK-553 Oct 1969; Returned to EAL N5509Y, stored at VNY; to American Jet Industries Feb 1977
² In 1967, the name of the Lockheed Air Terminal was changed to Hollywood-Burbank Airport. After several more name changes, including Bob Hope Airport, it is once again known as Hollywood-Burbank. Its FAA identifier is BUR.
© 2025, Bryan R. Swopes