What happened
Delta Air Lines Flight 723 was operating a scheduled domestic route from Burlington, Vermont, with a stop in Manchester, New Hampshire, destined for Logan International Airport in Boston, Massachusetts. On the morning of July 31, 1973, at approximately 11:08 a.m., the McDonnell Douglas DC-9 aircraft registration N605AU was conducting an instrument landing system approach into Boston under conditions of low visibility and fog.
During the final phase of the descent, the aircraft dropped below the established glidepath. It subsequently impacted a seawall before crashing into the waters of Boston Harbor. The impact resulted in the immediate loss of all occupants on board, with one exception: an initial survivor who sustained critical injuries but did not succumb to them until several months later.
Investigation
Official reports from the National Transportation Safety Board documented the crash details and the unique status of the sole survivor. Due to the significant time elapsed between the accident date and the individual's eventual death, official records initially listed this person as a survivor with critical injuries rather than a fatality at the scene.
Findings
The crash resulted in 89 fatalities. The aircraft involved was a McDonnell Douglas DC-9 twin-engine jetliner operated by Delta Air Lines. The accident occurred during the approach phase of flight in poor weather conditions.