Eastern Air Lines Flight 537 was a scheduled passenger flight from Newark, New Jersey, to Miami, Florida, using a Douglas DC-4 aircraft. On November 1, 1949, while flying over Alexandria, Virginia, the aircraft collided in mid-air with a Bolivian Air Force Lockheed P-38 Lightning. The collision resulted in the immediate loss of the DC-4, killing all 55 people aboard, including passengers and crew members. Eyewitness reports described a fiery explosion, highlighting the devastating nature of the incident and its impact on those who observed it from the ground.

Investigations into the collision revealed that the airspace around Washington D.C. was overcrowded at the time, a factor that was increasingly becoming a concern for aviation safety. The Bolivian Air Force aircraft was reportedly on a training mission when the incident occurred. The aftermath of the collision prompted regulatory changes within air traffic control systems and highlighted the need for enhanced communication protocols among military and civilian aircraft operations.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), which was established shortly after this period in 1958, took note of such events to motivate improved regulations in a rapidly evolving commercial aviation environment. The tragedy of Flight 537 served as a somber reminder of the potential dangers faced in crowded airways, leading to significant advancements in aviation safety and air traffic management.