The flight crew succeeded in restarting one engine in time to safely land the aircraft at Miami International Airport.

[2][3] On May 4, N334EA had flown into Miami where it underwent overnight maintenance, which included a check of the magnetic chip detectors inside the jet engines.

Flight 855 received a clearance back to Miami, as well as instructions to begin a climb to FL200 (20,000 ft (6,100 m) nominal altitude).

[2][7]: 4  After the landing the power from #2 engine was insufficient for the aircraft to taxi; a tug had to be used to tow it to the airport terminal, where the occupants disembarked normally.

[2] The National Transportation Safety Board determined that the probable cause of the incident was as follows: [T]he omission of all the O-ring seals on the master chip detector assemblies leading to the loss of lubrication and damage to the airplane's three engines as a result of the failure of mechanics to follow the established and proper procedures for the installation of master chip detectors in the engine lubrication system, the repeated failure of supervisory personnel to require mechanics to comply strictly with the prescribed installation procedures, and the failure of Eastern Air Lines management to assess adequately the significance of similar previous occurrences and to act effectively to institute corrective action.

Contributing to the cause of the incident was the failure of Federal Aviation Administration maintenance inspectors to assess the significance of the incidents involving master chip detectors and to take effective surveillance and enforcement measures to prevent the recurrence of the incidents.It was subsequently established that the engines needed to be run for at least 30 seconds with no O-rings fitted before an oil leak would become apparent.

[8] Barnes, Boddy and Thompson were each presented with an Award for Outstanding Airmanship by the Airline Pilots Association.

Following Eastern Airlines ceasing operations in 1991, the aircraft would be transferred to Delta Air Lines, and re-registered as N788DL.