The flight was to be in the capable hands of captain Robert Albin Loft. Loft, a tall and trim 55 year old had been flying for Eastern Airlines since the days of Eddie Rickenbacker. With thirty-two years of seniority, he was ranked fiftieth among the airlines four thousand pilots.
Captain Loft had accumulated a total 29,700 flight hours and had logged 280 hours in the L-1011
Captain Loft actually survived the initial crash, but he told the responders that he was going to die. After the responders told him that they were going to get him help, he died a few minutes later.