Final Boarding Call

On December 8, 1963, Pan American World Airways Flight 214 was struck by lightning while holding in a thunderstorm near Philadelphia, triggering an explosion that tore off the aircraft's left wing. All 81 people aboard perished when the Boeing 707 crashed into a Maryland cornfield. Join Alice and Zach as they explore how this tragedy fundamentally changed aviation safety—proving for the first time that lightning could destroy a commercial airliner and sparking an urgent overhaul of aircraft fuel systems that continues to protect passengers today. Discover how a single bolt of electricity led to static discharge wicks, flame arrestors, and design changes that have prevented any U.S. commercial aircraft from being lost to lightning in over 60 years.Sources:Civil Aeronautics Board Aircraft Accident Report SA-376, File No. 1-0015, "Pan American World Airways Inc., Boeing 707-121, N709PA, Near Elkton, Maryland, December 8, 1963," released March 3, 1965"81 Perish as Jet Crashes in Storm Near Elkton, Md." The New York Times, December 9, 1963"Witnesses Tell of Ball of Fire in the Sky." The Philadelphia Inquirer, December 9, 1963"A Night of Fire and Rain: 50 Years Since Flight 214." The Cecil Whig, December 8, 2013FAA Lessons Learned: Pan Am Flight 214 at Elkton, MarylandHistorical Society of Cecil County archivesFind FINAL BOARDING CALL online:Website: finalboardingcallpodcast.comEmail: finalboardingcallpodcast@gmail.comInstagram: @FinalBoardingCallPodFacebook: Final Boarding CallCredits: Final Boarding Call is hosted by Alice Stern and Zach Stemas, researched and written by Alice Stern, produced and edited by Alice Stern and Zach Stemas.

On April 28, 1988, Aloha Airlines Flight 243 became an impromptu convertible at 24,000 feet when an explosive decompression tore away the entire upper fuselage. Discover how a flight attendant crawled through hurricane-force winds to save passengers, how pilots landed half an airplane, and how one woman's premonition saved her life while another's hesitation haunts her still. This is the story of thirteen minutes of terror that revolutionized how we understand aging aircraft—and the extraordinary heroism that kept 93 people alive.SOURCES:NTSB Aircraft Accident Report AAR-89/03"Miracle Landing" (1990) - TV movie by LionHeart FilmWorksMayday: Air Disaster - Season 3, Episode 1, titled "Hanging by a Thread"The Washington Post - "A Flight Attendant's Moments In The Maelstrom" (May 18, 1988)Survivor and crew member interviewsNTSB witness statements and testimonyAviation safety databases and reportsFIND FINAL BOARDING CALL ONLINE:Website: finalboardingcallpodcast.comEmail: finalboardingcallpodcast@gmail.comInstagram: @FinalBoardingCallPodFacebook: Final Boarding CallCREDITS: Final Boarding Call is hosted by Alice Stern and Zach Stemas, researched and written by Alice Stern, produced and edited by Alice Stern and Zach Stemas.

Join Alice and Zach as they close out 2025 with a comprehensive look at the year's final quarter in aviation. From the deadliest accident in UPS Airlines' history to a violent mid-flight attack with a metal fork, this episode covers cargo disasters, military transport failures, a deadly medical mission in fog, tourism flight spatial disorientation, ground collisions, and some of the strangest passenger incidents ever recorded. Discover what investigators have uncovered and what 2025's final months reveal about aviation safety heading into 2026.Sources:"NTSB Investigation Dashboard - Case DCA26MA024" - National Transportation Safety Board"Death toll from UPS cargo plane crash rises to 15" - CBS News (December 25, 2025)"Lithuanian Ministry of Justice - Interim Statement on EC-MFE" - Lithuanian Ministry of Justice"Aviation Safety Network Wiki - Swiftair 5960" - Aviation Safety Network"Cockpit Errors Lead to Fatal DHL Crash" - Mentour Pilot YouTube"Libya's military chief and 7 others killed in plane crash" - Associated Press (December 23, 2025)"FlightAware Track Log - 9H-DFS" - FlightAware (December 23, 2025)"Search continues for missing plane crash victim" - ABC13 Houston (December 23, 2025)"Mexican Navy Official Press Release" - SEMAR (December 23, 2025)"Kenya Aircraft Accident Investigation Department Preliminary Findings" - Kenya AAID (November 2025)"Eleven Lives Lost in Kwale Crash" - Travel and Tour WorldU.S. Attorney's Office (District of Massachusetts) Press ReleaseFederal criminal complaint - U.S. District Court (October 25, 2025)"Man charged in alleged fork stabbing of 2 teens on flight" - ABC News"NTSB Final Report on Alaska Airlines Flight 1282" - National Transportation Safety Board (2025)"Boeing and FAA share blame in door plug incident" - Aviation Week"Airbus Alert Operators Transmission (AOT)" - Airbus (November 28, 2025)"Emergency software patch for 6,000 A320s" - Aviation International News"NTSB Investigation - Statesville Regional Airport" - National Transportation Safety Board"Former NASCAR champion Greg Biffle killed in plane crash" - Associated Press (December 18, 2025)"NTSB briefing on Biffle crash" - Charlotte Observer (December 20, 2025)Find FINAL BOARDING CALL online:span...

What happens when all four engines on a Boeing 747 suddenly fail at 37,000 feet over the ocean? On June 24, 1982, Captain Eric Moody and his crew faced the impossible: flying the world's largest passenger jet as a glider through the darkness, with 263 lives depending on split-second decisions and a calm voice over the intercom. Join Alice and Zach as they explore one of aviation's most remarkable survival stories—where a former glider pilot's skills, a crew's unshakeable teamwork, and passengers' quiet courage turned certain death into an unforgettable lesson in airmanship. Discover the invisible enemy that brought them down, and learn why aviation authorities' failure to heed the warning nearly caused a second disaster just 19 days later.Sources:Betty Tootell, "All Four Engines Have Failed" (1985)Mayday: Air Disasters - Season 4, Episode 2, "Falling From the Sky"Captain Eric Moody interviews (BBC, Flight Safety Australia, aviation podcasts)Wikipedia: British Airways Flight 009SKYbrary Aviation Safety DatabaseMentour Pilot YouTube analysisAviation Safety Network accident reportRolls-Royce engine investigation documentationSingapore Airlines Flight 21A incident reportFind FINAL BOARDING CALL online:Website: finalboardingcallpodcast.comEmail: finalboardingcallpodcast@gmail.comInstagram: @FinalBoardingCallPodFacebook: Final Boarding CallCredits: Final Boarding Call is hosted by Alice Stern and Zach Stemas, researched and written by Alice Stern, produced and edited by Alice Stern and Zach Stemas.

When LANSA Flight 508 was struck by lightning and broke apart at 10,000 feet over the Amazon rainforest on Christmas Eve 1971, 17-year-old Juliane Koepcke found herself falling through the sky still strapped to her seat. Against impossible odds, she survived - only to face an 11-day journey through one of the world's most dangerous environments while injured and alone. But she wasn't the only survivor. Join Alice and guest co-host Lydia as they explore this extraordinary story and discover what separated Juliane from the 14 others who survived the fall but died waiting for rescue - including her own mother. From the science of crash survivability to the psychology of extreme survival, this episode reveals why preparation, determination, and a lifetime of unique knowledge made all the difference.SOURCES:"When I Fell from the Sky: How the Jungle Gave Me My Life Back" by Juliane Koepcke"Wings of Hope" documentary by Werner HerzogLANSA Flight 508 crash investigation reportsMy Favorite Murder PodcastNot Today PodcastFIND FINAL BOARDING CALL ONLINE:Website: finalboardingcallpodcast.comEmail: finalboardingcallpodcast@gmail.comInstagram: @FinalBoardingCallPodFacebook: Final Boarding CallCREDITS: Final Boarding Call is hosted by Alice Stern and Zach Stemas, with special guest co-host Lydia Stern and special guest Terren Judson. Researched and written by Alice Stern and Lydia Stern, produced and edited by Alice Stern and Zach Stemas.

On February 4, 2015, a routine 50-minute flight from Taipei to Kinmen Island turned into a two-minute-and-48-second nightmare captured on dashcam and watched by millions worldwide. Join Alice and Zach to learn how a microscopic circuit board failure triggered a cascade of catastrophic decisions in the cockpit—and how investigators proved that doing nothing would have saved 43 lives. Sources:Mayday: Air Disasters - Season 17, Episode 7: "Caught on Camera""A Horrible Chain of Mistakes! TransAsia Airways flight 235" by Mentour Pilot (YouTube)Taiwan Aviation Safety Council Final Report (ASC-AOR-16-06-001)"Review of Medical Response in 2015 TransAsia Airways Flight 235 Aircraft Crash" - NCBI/PMCWikipedia: TransAsia Airways Flight 235Aviation Safety Network occurrence reportFind FINAL BOARDING CALL online:Website: finalboardingcallpodcast.comInstagram: @FinalBoardingCallPodFacebook: Final Boarding CallCredits: Final Boarding Call is hosted by Alice Stern and Zach Stemas, researched and written by Alice Stern, produced and edited by Alice Stern and Zach Stem

On November 4, 2025, a UPS cargo jet loaded with fuel for its trans-Pacific journey thundered down the runway in Louisville, Kentucky. But just seconds after liftoff, something catastrophic happened—the left engine tore away from the wing in a shower of sparks and flame. What followed was 30 seconds of horror as the crippled MD-11 carved a path of destruction through an industrial area, killing 14 people. But this disaster wasn't unprecedented—46 years earlier, an almost identical failure killed 271 people in Chicago and changed aviation forever. Or did it? Join Alice as she explores whether the lessons of America's deadliest aviation disaster were truly learned, and what it means that aging cargo aircraft are still experiencing the same catastrophic failures decades later.Sources:NTSB Preliminary Report DCA26MA024 (November 20, 2025)NTSB Media Briefing 3 (November 8, 2025) - YouTubeFAA Lessons Learned: American Airlines Flight 191"New photos show engine falling off UPS cargo plane before Louisville crash" - NBC News"Fleet of UPS planes grounded after deadly crash expected to miss peak delivery season" - CNN"Leading Aviation Attorney Comments on NTSB Preliminary Report" - Clifford Law Offices"Wrongful death lawsuit in UPS cargo jet crash planned by victims' families" - Reuters, December 2, 2025"UPS put profits over safety before plane crash that killed 14, lawyer alleges" - Associated Press, December 3, 2025"Investigators recover black boxes from UPS plane crash, detail data recovery process" - Tom's Hardware, November 8, 2025"Dramatic photos of doomed UPS plane show the aircraft on fire and its engine flying off" - Associated Press, November 20, 2025"Investigators find 'black boxes' from UPS plane crash that killed at least 12" - Reuters, November 5, 2025Find FINAL BOARDING CALL online:Website: finalboardingcallpodcast.comEmail: finalboardingcallpodcast@gmail.comInstagram: @FinalBoardingCallPodFacebook: Final Boarding CallCredits: Final Boarding Call is hosted by Alice Stern and Zach Stemas, researched and written by Alice Stern, produced and edited by Alice Stern and Zach Stemas.

When a Boeing 767 loses a critical system minutes after takeoff, the experienced crew makes a reasonable decision: continue across the Atlantic and deal with it when they land. After all, they've trained for this exact scenario, and backup systems are designed for situations like this. But as Flight 16 approaches Warsaw with 231 people on board, the backup systems mysteriously fail. Join Alice and Zach as they unravel how a perfect landing became impossible, why experienced pilots missed something hiding in plain sight, and how one captain's extraordinary skill brought everyone home alive from one of aviation's most dramatic belly landings.Sources:"Final report" - State Commission on Aircraft Accidents Investigation (SCAAI), December 18, 2017"LOT Polish Airlines Flight 16" - Wikipedia"Accident: LOT B763 at Warsaw on Nov 1st 2011, forced gear up landing" - Simon Hradecky, The Aviation Herald"Boeing 767 BELLY LANDING! What happened?!" - Mentour Pilot (Petter Hörnfeldt), YouTube"Emergency Landing without Landing Gears" - World's Wildest Flights, Season 1 Episode 1Find FINAL BOARDING CALL online:Website: finalboardingcallpodcast.comEmail: finalboardingcallpodcast@gmail.comInstagram: @FinalBoardingCallPodFacebook: Final Boarding CallCredits: Final Boarding Call is hosted by Alice Stern and Zach Stemas, researched and written by Alice Stern, produced and edited by Alice Stern and Zach Stemas.

On the Sunday after Thanksgiving 1974, what should have been a routine diversion turned into one of aviation's most consequential disasters. Join Alice and Zach as they explore how TWA Flight 514's crash into Mount Weather, Virginia, exposed a deadly gap in communication between pilots and air traffic controllers—a misunderstanding so fundamental that it had nearly caused another crash just weeks earlier. Discover how confusion over three simple words, "cleared for approach," led to 92 deaths and triggered safety changes that transformed modern aviation. This Thanksgiving, we remember a tragedy that taught the industry an unforgettable lesson about the cost of ambiguity.Sources:National Transportation Safety Board Aircraft Accident Report NTSB-AAR-75-16Federal Aviation Administration Lessons Learned: TWA Flight 514Air Line Pilots Association: "The Legacy of TWA Flight 514: 50 Years of Reflection and Aviation Safety"Check-Six.com: "In a Place that Doesn't Exist - The Crash of TWA Flight 514"AOPA: "TWA 514's Legacy" by Peter A. BedellAviation Safety Network DatabaseBluemont Heritage: TWA Flight 514 MemorialABC 7 News - WJLA: "FULL DOCUMENTARY: TWA Flight 514 airplane crash in Loudoun County, Virginia"Green Dot Aviation: "Descent into Disaster! | TWA Flight 514"Find FINAL BOARDING CALL online:Website: finalboardingcallpodcast.comInstagram: @FinalBoardingCallPodFacebook: Final Boarding CallCredits: Final Boarding Call is hosted by Alice Stern and Zach Stemas, researched and written by Alice Stern, produced and edited by Alice Stern and Zach Stemas.

On August 12, 1985, Japan Airlines Flight 123 climbed into the evening sky with 524 people aboard, bound for a routine 54-minute flight to Osaka. Twelve minutes later, a thunderous explosion tore through the aircraft, severing all hydraulic controls and leaving the crew fighting to control an uncontrollable jumbo jet using only engine thrust. What followed was 32 minutes of extraordinary airmanship as three pilots battled against impossible odds. Discover how a seven-year-old maintenance error led to the deadliest single-aircraft disaster in aviation history—and how the heroic actions of the crew would later help save lives in future emergencies.Sources:Mayday: Air Disasters - Season 3, Episode 3, titled "Out Of Control""Japan Airlines Flight 123 | A Short Documentary" - Fascinating HorrorJapan Aircraft Accident Investigation Commission Official ReportNTSB Investigation DocumentsWikipedia - Japan Airlines Flight 123Survivor testimonials and witness interviewsFind FINAL BOARDING CALL online:Website: finalboardingcallpodcast.comEmail: finalboardingcallpodcast@gmail.comInstagram: @FinalBoardingCallPodFacebook: Final Boarding CallCredits:Final Boarding Call is hosted by Alice Stern and Zach Stemas, researched and written by Alice Stern, produced and edited by Alice Stern and Zach Stemas.

On December 20, 1987, the passenger ferry MV Doña Paz collided with the oil tanker MT Vector in the Tablas Strait of the Philippines, creating a catastrophic inferno that claimed over 4,300 lives—nearly three times the death toll of the Titanic. Join Alice and Zach as they investigate how corporate negligence, regulatory failure, and a culture of overlooking safety standards converged to create the deadliest peacetime maritime disaster in history. Discover the harrowing stories of the 26 survivors who escaped burning waters, the families who fought for decades seeking justice, and why this tragedy—despite its massive scale—remains largely forgotten outside the Philippines.Sources:"4,385 Souls Gone: The Nightmare Voyage of the Doña Paz" - Stunning History (YouTube documentary)"Burning at Sea: The Sinking of MV Doña Paz" - Philippines' Most Shocking Stories, Episode 6, ABS-CBN News"Asia's Titanic" - National Geographic Channel-Asia documentary"MV Doña Paz" - Wikipedia article"Hell at Sea: Remembering the Tragedy of the MV Doña Paz" - Nicai de Guzman, Esquire Magazine PhilippinesPhilippine Coast Guard Marine Board of Inquiry Report - February 29, 1988Caltex Philippines v. Sulpicio Lines - Supreme Court of the Philippines, September 30, 1999Vector Shipping Corp. v. Macasa - Supreme Court of the Philippines, July 21, 2008"Doña Paz victims waiting for justice 25 years after" - Joey Gabieta, Philippine Daily Inquirer"MV Doña Paz survivor reunites with family after 25 years on 'Wish Ko Lang'" - GMA News, GMA NetworkRV Petrel Wreck Discovery Footage - Released December 19, 2019Find FINAL BOARDING CALL online:Website: finalboardingcallpodcast.com Instagram: @FinalBoardingCallPod Facebook: Final Boarding CallCredits:Final Boarding Call is hosted by Alice Stern and Zach Stemas, researched and written by Alice Stern, produced and edited by Alice Stern and Zach Stemas.

When three desperate men seize control of Ethiopian Airlines Flight 961, demanding to be taken to Australia, they set in motion a chain of events that will test the limits of human endurance and pilot skill. With insufficient fuel for their impossible journey, Captain Leul Abate faces an unthinkable choice: comply with the hijackers' demands and crash into the ocean, or risk everything in a desperate gamble to save his passengers. Join Alice and Zach as they explore this harrowing true story of hijacking, heroism, and one of aviation's most dramatic water landings ever captured on film—a crash witnessed by beach tourists who had no idea they were filming one of the deadliest hijackings in history.Sources:Mayday: Air Disasters - Season 3, Episode 13, "Hijack!"Official Ethiopian Airlines Flight 961 Accident Investigation Report"Ethiopian jet hijack ends in disaster" - BBC News, November 23, 1996"The Hijacking and Ditching of Ethiopian Airlines Flight 961" - Admiral Cloudberg on MediumContemporary news coverage from Associated Press and ReutersSurvivor testimonies from Michael Adeno and Frank HuddleFind FINAL BOARDING CALL online:Website: finalboardingcallpodcast.comInstagram: @FinalBoardingCallPodFacebook: Final Boarding CallCredits: Final Boarding Call is hosted by Alice Stern and Zach Stemas, researched and written by Alice Stern, produced and edited by Alice Stern and Zach Stemas.

Join Alice and Zach as they explore one of aviation's most disturbing tragedies. On March 24, 2015, Germanwings Flight 9525 crashed into the French Alps, killing all 150 people on board when co-pilot Andreas Lubitz deliberately locked the captain out of the cockpit and intentionally flew the plane into a mountainside. This episode examines the fatal flaws in cockpit security procedures implemented after 9/11, the devastating impact of untreated mental illness in safety-critical professions, and the difficult balance between medical privacy and public safety. Discover how this horrifying act of mass murder-suicide forced airlines worldwide to reconsider their protocols and prompted important conversations about pilot mental health monitoring that continue to shape aviation safety today.Sources:"How a Pilot Deliberately Crashed a Passenger Plane" - Air Crash InvestigationKreindler & Kreindler LLP - Legal documentation regarding 2016 lawsuit against Airline Training Center ArizonaCourthouse News - Coverage of families' civil claims and U.S. court proceedingsThe Guardian - Reporting on families' compensation claims and Lufthansa's initial offers (2015)Reuters - Coverage of families preparing U.S. lawsuit (2015)Time Magazine - Summary of Lufthansa compensation offers and insurance reservesAP News / DPA - Reporting on Essen court decision rejecting higher compensation claims (July 1, 2020)Aviation Pros / DPA - Coverage of German appeal outcomes (September 2021)Aviation24.be / CatalanNews - Spanish Supreme Court increases compensation for select families (May 2023)Wikipedia - Germanwings Flight 9525 consolidated timeline and legal proceedingsFind FINAL BOARDING CALL online: Website: finalboardingcallpodcast.com Instagram: @FinalBoardingCallPod Facebook: Final Boarding CallCredits: Final Boarding Call is hosted by Alice Stern and Zach Stemas, researched and written by Alice Stern, produced and edited by Alice Stern and Zach Stemas.

What happens when a state-of-the-art commercial airliner simply disappears without a trace? Join Alice and Zach as they investigate the baffling case of Malaysia Airlines Flight 370, which vanished on March 8, 2014, with 239 people on board. Discover how an ordinary overnight flight from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing turned into aviation's greatest modern mystery when it deviated from its course, went radio silent, and apparently flew for hours into one of the most remote regions on Earth. Follow the unprecedented international search efforts that spanned years and cost hundreds of millions of dollars, and explore the competing theories about what might have happened on that fateful night above the South China Sea. Plus, hear about the latest developments as the search officially resumed in 2025, offering new hope for answers.Sources:Mayday: Air Disasters - Season 14, Episode 11: "What Happened to Malaysian Flight 370""The Search for MH370 is Back ON! What's changed?!" - Mentour Now! YouTube channelWikipedia: Malaysia Airlines Flight 370Australian Transport Safety Bureau Final Report (2017)Find FINAL BOARDING CALL online:Website: finalboardingcallpodcast.comInstagram: @FinalBoardingCallPodFacebook: Final Boarding CallCredits: Final Boarding Call is hosted by Alice Stern and Zach Stemas, researched and written by Alice Stern, produced and edited by Alice Stern and Zach Stemas.

Join Alice and Zach for their quarterly roundup of recent aviation incidents and accidents from around the world. In this Q3 2025 edition, they explore ten significant aviation events from July through early October, including near mid-air collisions with military aircraft, a dramatic engine failure requiring fuel dumping, an airshow near-disaster, violent passenger behavior, wing flap failures, toxic fume concerns, a technology outage that grounded an entire fleet, a major airline's sudden collapse that stranded 1,750 passengers, a ground collision at LaGuardia, and a miraculous roadside emergency landing.Sources:SkyWest Flight 3788 Near-Miss with B-52 Bomber:"A pilot made sharp turn to avoid a B-52 bomber over North Dakota, then took to the mic to explain" - U.S. News"NTSB: B-52 bomber nearly hit Delta flight" - USA Today"Delta regional pilot takes evasive action to avoid F-52" - ABC NewsSpanish Air Force F-18 Airshow Incident:"Flock of birds nearly cause Spanish F-18 to crash on crowded beach during airshow" - Euronews"Spanish Hornet's evasive action at Gijon airshow" - Aerotime"Spanish F/A-18 Hornet Seen Nearly Crashing Into Surf During Beach Airshow" - The War ZoneUnited Airlines Flight 108 Engine Failure:"United Boeing 787 Suffers Engine Failure, Makes Emergency Landing" - Business Insider"United Airlines Flight Makes Emergency Landing After Engine Failure" - NBC News"United Airlines Mayday Call Was By The Book" - ForbesBreeze Airways Unruly Passenger:"Breeze Airways flight diverts after unruly passenger breaks free from restraints: Police" - ABC News"Breeze Airways unruly passenger; Good Samaritan speaks" - CBS Los Angeles"Breeze Airways Flight Diverts Due to Unruly Passenger" - USA TodayDelta Air Lines Boeing 737 Wing Flap Incident:"Delta Boeing 737 Suffers Mid-Air Wing Flap Failure, Lands Safely in Austin, FAA Launches Probe" - The Logical Indian"FAA investigates after Delta 737 wing flap breaks midflight" - CNN"Delta 737's loose landing flap in Austin" - AerotimeAlaska Airlines IT Outage:"Alaska Airlines resumes flights after hardware failure causes system-wide ground stop" - KOMO News"Hardware failure, IT outage grounded Alaska Airlines planes" - Government Technology"Alaska Airlines requests system-wide ground stop due to IT outage" - CBS NewsDelta Air Lines APU Replacement Program:"Delta to replace engine parts after passengers, crew suffer brain injuries from toxic fume leaks" - New York Post"Delta Replacing Engine Units on A320 Planes" - TipRanks"Delta Airlines replaces 100s of engines for frightening reason" - The StreetPlay Airlines Shutdown:"This Airline Is Shutting Down All Flights, Effective Immediately" - Travel Pirates"Iceland's Play Airlines ceases operations, leaves passengers stranded" - AviTrader"A Budget Airline in Iceland Shuts Down Suddenly, Leaving Passengers Stranded" - The New York TimesDelta Connection Jets Collision at LaGuardia:"2 Delta jets collide on taxiway at LaGuardia Airport, leaving member of cabin crew injured" - People"Delta planes collide at LaGuardia Airport" - CBS New York"NYC: Delta jets collide at LaGuardia Airport" - New York PostColorado Springs Small Plane Crash:"Small plane crashes on Powers Boulevard in Colorado Springs" - KOAA"Small plane crash landing in Colorado Springs" - CBS Colorado"Small plane lands along major Colorado Springs road" - The GazetteFind FINAL BOARDING CALL online:Website:...

On June 2, 1983, Air Canada Flight 797 was halfway through a routine flight from Dallas to Montreal when circuit breakers started popping in the cockpit. What began as a seemingly minor electrical issue quickly escalated into a race against time as smoke filled the cabin and an invisible fire burned behind the lavatory walls. Join Alice and Zach as they explore how a small problem became a deadly inferno, the heroic efforts of the crew to land the plane safely, and the tragic flashover that claimed 23 lives just 90 seconds after touchdown. This episode reveals how split-second decisions during emergencies can mean the difference between survival and catastrophe.Sources:"Fire on Board! Air Canada Flight 797" by Curious Pilot (YouTube)Mayday: Air Disaster - Season 4, Episode 3 "Fire Fight": Air Canada 797NTSB Aircraft Accident Report: Air Canada Flight 797, McDonnell Douglas DC-9-32Find FINAL BOARDING CALL online:Website: finalboardingcallpodcast.comInstagram: @FinalBoardingCallPodFacebook: Final Boarding CallCredits: Final Boarding Call is hosted by Alice Stern and Zach Stemas, researched and written by Alice Stern, produced and edited by Alice Stern and Zach Stemas.

When 23-year-old Amy Lynn Bradley stepped onto the balcony of her family's cruise ship cabin in the early morning hours of March 24, 1998, she had no idea she was about to become the center of one of the most perplexing disappearances in maritime history. Join Alice and Zach as they navigate the murky waters of Amy's vanishing from the Royal Caribbean's Rhapsody of the Seas during a family vacation in the Caribbean. Was it an accident, suicide, or something far more sinister? From alleged sightings in brothels to mysterious photographs and a heartbreaking message in a bottle, this case has more twists than a Caribbean current. Buckle up for a journey into one of the most haunting maritime mysteries of our time.Sources:"A full timeline of how Amy Bradley went missing from a Caribbean cruise in 1998" by Suchismita Ghosh, Entertainment"What Happened to Amy Bradley? Here Are the Theories" by Troy Pozirekides, Status Update"Amy Bradley Sent Girlfriend a 'Message in a Bottle,' Lamenting 'an Ocean Between Us.' Then She Vanished at Sea" by KC Baker, People MagazineWikipedia page on the "Disappearance of Amy Lynn Bradley"Netflix documentary series "Amy Bradley Is Missing"Find FINAL BOARDING CALL online:Website: finalboardingcallpodcast.comInstagram: @FinalBoardingCallPodFacebook: Final Boarding CallCredits: Final Boarding Call is hosted by Alice Stern and Zach Stemas, researched and written by Alice Stern, produced and edited by Alice Stern and Zach Stemas.

What would you do to survive when all hope seems lost? Join Alice and Zach as they explore one of history's most remarkable survival stories. On October 13, 1972, a plane carrying a Uruguayan rugby team crashed high in the Andes mountains. For the survivors, this was just the beginning of a 72-day ordeal in one of Earth's most hostile environments. Facing starvation, extreme cold, avalanches, and the crushing news that the search had been abandoned, these ordinary young men were forced to make extraordinary—and controversial—choices to stay alive. Discover how medical student Roberto Canessa and teammate Nando Parrado ultimately trekked across the seemingly impassable Andes mountains to save their friends, completing one of the most incredible rescue missions of all time.Sources:Time magazine: "A Survivor Recalls the Harrowing 1972 Plane Crash Behind Society of the Snow" by Megan McCluskey, January 5, 2024My Favorite Murder Episode 307: Fun Cracker RevealWikipedia: Uruguayan Air Force Flight 571Encyclopedia Britannica: Uruguayan Air Force flight 571Find FINAL BOARDING CALL online:Website: finalboardingcallpodcast.comInstagram: @FinalBoardingCallPodFacebook: Final Boarding CallCredits: Final Boarding Call is hosted by Alice Stern and Zach Stemas, researched and written by Alice Stern, produced and edited by Alice Stern and Zach Stemas.

On August 25, 2001, a Cessna 402B carrying R&B superstar Aaliyah crashed shortly after takeoff from Marsh Harbour Airport in the Bahamas, claiming all nine lives on board. Discover how multiple preventable factors—an overloaded aircraft, an unqualified pilot with falsified credentials and substances in his system, and a charter company operating without proper authorization—led to this devastating tragedy. The episode also reveals how Aaliyah herself sensed the danger and refused to board, only to allegedly be given an unidentified pill before being placed on the doomed flight.Sources:Official accident investigation report from the Bahamian Civil Aviation DepartmentMy Favorite Murder episode #304 titled "Show-Off Time"Wikipedia articles on Aaliyah and the 2001 Marsh Harbour Cessna 402 crash"Baby Girl: Better Known as Aaliyah" by Kathy Iandoli (2021)Find FINAL BOARDING CALL online:Website: finalboardingcallpodcast.com Instagram: @FinalBoardingCallPod Facebook: Final Boarding CallCredits:Final Boarding Call is hosted by Alice Stern and Zach Stemas, researched and written by Alice Stern, produced and edited by Alice Stern and Zach Stemas.

What happens when an ordinary day of paragliding transforms into a battle against one of nature's most violent forces? Join Alice and Zach as they explore the extraordinary survival story of Ewa Wiśnierska, a champion paraglider who was literally sucked into a massive thunderstorm and carried to an altitude higher than Mount Everest. Discover how this elite athlete endured temperatures of minus 50 degrees, oxygen levels too thin to sustain consciousness, and violent hailstorms that should have proven fatal. Learn what happens to the human body when suddenly exposed to conditions more extreme than the "death zone" of high-altitude mountaineering—without specialized equipment or training. Buckle up for an incredible journey into the stratosphere and back.Sources:Wikipedia article on Ewa Wiśnierska"Not Today" podcast, Episode 141: "Straight To The Stratosphere"Find FINAL BOARDING CALL online:Website: finalboardingcallpodcast.comInstagram: @FinalBoardingCallPodFacebook: Final Boarding CallCredits: Final Boarding Call is hosted by Alice Stern and Zach Stemas, researched and written by Alice Stern, produced and edited by Alice Stern and Zach Stemas. This special episode featured guests Lydia Stern and Terren Judson.