Memorial of the victims of the 1979 American Airlines Flight 191 at O'Hare Intl. Airport in Chicago
Hekatenenekontahenophobia (from Greek hekato, "one hundred", enenekonta, "ninety", and hen, "one") is the fear of the number 191. Fear of the number has close ties with fear of number 11 because the sum of digits in 191 is 11, as well as fear of number 911 by simply rearranging them. The fear of the number came about due to numerous airplane crashes that has flight number 191, including most infamously American Airlines Flight 191 that crashed shortly after takeoff at O'Hare Airport in Chicago on May 25, 1979. Upon hearing about this fact led them to think there must be superstition, specifically the curse and unluckiness, relating to the number 191 that make them afraid and that it may go beyond aviation. In fact, the Listverse webpage lists 191 as the unluckiest number.
People suffering this fear would goshly stay off on an airplane that has flight numbered 191, as well as not being in any non-airplane vehicle numbered 191, such as that said on a license plate. More severe sufferers would avoid being in that number even outside of a vehicle, such as avoid being in the room 191 in a hotel or going/buying a house whose address is 191 or where the last three digits reads 191, such as 4191 or 17191, while some would not live in a zip code where the last three digits being 191, in fears that very unfortunate event could occur to them.
See also[]
- Heftakosioitessarakontaheptaphobia – fear of the number 747, which is another unlucky number in aviation