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PODCAST

Final Boarding Call

Final Boarding Call dives into the true stories of aviation disasters, survival tales, and near misses that have shaped history. Hosted by Alice, a disaster-obsessed frequent flyer, and her reluctant, homebody husband Zach, each episode explores the history, mechanics, and human decisions behind these harrowing events. Through meticulous research and compelling storytelling, we examine how small oversights and miscommunications can cascade into catastrophe, revealing the fragility of complex systems

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All Episodes

51:15

BOAC Flight 911

Final Boarding Call ·

2025/07/30

Join Alice and Zach as they explore the terrifying power of invisible turbulence. On March 5, 1966, BOAC Flight 911, a Boeing 707, disintegrated in mid-air while flying past Mount Fuji in Japan, killing all 124 people on board. Discover how an attempt to give passengers a scenic view of Japan's iconic mountain led the aircraft directly into catastrophic clear-air turbulence—powerful enough to tear the plane apart despite the seemingly calm, blue skies. Learn about the science behind this invisible

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30:40

Boeing 737 MAX Part 2

Final Boarding Call ·

2025/07/23

Five months after Lion Air Flight 610, Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 crashes under nearly identical circumstances, killing 157 more people and forcing the worldwide grounding of the Boeing 737 MAX. Join Alice and Zach as they explore how Ethiopian pilots who knew about MCAS and followed Boeing's procedures still couldn't save their aircraft, revealing the inadequacy of the company's proposed solutions. Plus, learn about Boeing's controversial 2025 settlement that allows the company to avoid criminal

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51:11

Boeing 737 MAX Part 1

Final Boarding Call ·

2025/07/16

When Boeing learned that American Airlines might choose Airbus over their planes, it triggered a corporate race that would ultimately kill 346 people. Join Alice and Zach as they explore how Boeing's rushed development of the 737 MAX led to fatal design shortcuts, including a hidden software system called MCAS that pilots were never told about. Discover the corporate culture that prioritized speed over safety, the engine placement problem that started it all, and the tragic crash of Lion Air Flight

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41:43

The Silver Bridge Disaster

Final Boarding Call ·

2025/07/09

On December 15, 1967, during rush hour traffic, the Silver Bridge spanning the Ohio River between Point Pleasant, West Virginia, and Gallipolis, Ohio, suddenly collapsed in less than a minute, claiming 46 lives. Discover how a microscopic crack just one-tenth of an inch deep in a single eyebar brought down an entire bridge that had stood for nearly four decades. Learn about the innovative but flawed engineering decisions that prioritized cost savings over redundancy, and explore how this disaster

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25:13

Aviation News Roundup - Q2 2025

Final Boarding Call ·

2025/07/02

Join Alice and Zach for another quarterly roundup of recent aviation incidents and accidents from around the world. In this second quarter edition, they explore seven significant aviation events from April through June 2025, including a devastating air traffic control crisis that paralyzed Newark Airport, a tragic Air India crash that became one of India's deadliest aviation disasters, multiple fatal crashes in California, a helicopter disaster over the Hudson River, Boeing's controversial legal

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57:13

United Airlines Flight 232

Final Boarding Call ·

2025/06/25

On July 19, 1989, United Airlines Flight 232 departed Denver for what should have been a routine flight to Chicago. At 37,000 feet over Iowa, a catastrophic engine failure led to the complete loss of all hydraulic systems - a failure so rare it was considered impossible, with odds calculated at a billion to one. With no flight controls, Captain Al Haynes and his crew faced an unprecedented challenge: how to land a DC-10 using only engine power. When passenger Dennis "Denny" Fitch, a DC-10 training

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54:10

Victoria Cilliers - A Skydiving Story

Final Boarding Call ·

2025/06/18

What happens when both a main and reserve parachute catastrophically fail during a routine jump? Join Alice and Zach as they explore an unprecedented skydiving disaster where experienced jumper Victoria Cilliers has a 4,000-foot freefall at terminal velocity. This remarkable case stands alone in British skydiving history—never before had dual parachute failures been recorded in over 2.3 million jumps. While most of our episodes examine accidents caused by mechanical failure or human error, this rare

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58:44

FedEx Flight 705 Hijacking

Final Boarding Call ·

2025/06/11

On April 7, 1994, what began as a routine FedEx cargo flight from Memphis to San Jose became the scene of an unbelievable battle at 19,000 feet. When flight engineer Auburn Calloway launched a brutal hammer attack on the three-man crew, severely injuring all of them, the pilots fought back in the most extraordinary way imaginable—by using their massive DC-10 cargo jet as a weapon. Discover how these gravely wounded men rolled their aircraft almost upside down at over 400 mph, pushed it beyond all

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50:11

American Airlines Flight 191

Final Boarding Call ·

2025/06/04

On May 25, 1979, American Airlines Flight 191 lifted off from Chicago's O'Hare Airport only to have its left engine tear completely free from the wing seconds later. In just 31 terrifying seconds, the crippled McDonnell Douglas DC-10 rolled onto its side and plunged to earth, killing all 271 people onboard and 2 more on the ground. Discover how an airline's time-saving maintenance shortcut led to a catastrophic structural failure that changed aviation maintenance practices forever. This harrowing

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34:52

West Edmonton Mall Roller Coaster Disaster

Final Boarding Call ·

2025/05/28

On June 14, 1986, the world's largest indoor triple-loop roller coaster became a death trap when a critical mechanical failure sent four passengers plummeting to the concrete floor below. Join Alice and Zach as they explore how missing bolts and maintenance oversights at West Edmonton Mall's Mindbender led to disaster, claiming three lives and forever changing amusement ride safety standards.Sources:Wikipedia: Mindbender (Galaxyland)Coasterpedia: Mindbender at GalaxylandHistory and Headlines: June

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01:01:52

Eastern Air Lines Flight 401

Final Boarding Call ·

2025/05/21

How can a single burnt-out light bulb bring down one of the most advanced aircraft ever built? A state-of-the-art Lockheed L-1011 TriStar jetliner plunges into the Florida Everglades when its experienced crew became fixated on a minor mechanical issue.Sources:Mayday: Air Disaster - Season 5, Episode 9, titled "Fatal Distraction""What CAUSED the Everglades DISASTER?" by Mentour PilotWikipedia page on Eastern Air Lines Flight 401Find FINAL BOARDING CALL online: Website: finalboardingcallpodcast.com

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40:09

Japan Airlines Flight 907 and 958

Final Boarding Call ·

2025/05/14

Two jumbo jets filled with passengers came within seconds and mere feet of colliding over Japan in a high-stakes aerial game of chicken. Join Alice and Zach as they explore the harrowing near-miss that almost became one of aviation's deadliest disasters. On January 31, 2001, a Boeing 747 and McDonnell Douglas DC-10 carrying nearly 700 people found themselves on a collision course when conflicting instructions from air traffic control and automated safety systems created an impossible dilemma for

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01:00:39

Aeroflot Flight 593

Final Boarding Call ·

2025/05/07

On March 23, 1994, an Aeroflot Airbus A310 crashed in the Siberian wilderness, killing all 75 people on board. Discover how a pilot's decision to let his children visit the cockpit led to disaster when his 15-year-old son inadvertently disengaged the autopilot. Learn how confusion over the aircraft's sophisticated systems, inadequate training, and a series of misinterpretations prevented the crew from recovering control as the plane entered a fatal spiral. This preventable tragedy forever changed

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01:04:00

The Tenerife Airport Disaster

Final Boarding Call ·

2025/04/30

On March 27, 1977, on the fog-shrouded runway of Los Rodeos Airport in Tenerife, two Boeing 747 jumbo jets collided during takeoff, claiming 583 lives. Discover how a chain of unlikely events—a terrorist bombing at another airport, deteriorating weather conditions, miscommunications between pilots and air traffic control, and fatal misunderstandings—culminated in catastrophe.Sources:Mayday: Air Disasters - Season 16, Episode 3, titled "Disaster at Tenerife"Wikipedia Page on the Tenerife airport

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53:06

The 1955 Le Mans Disaster

Final Boarding Call ·

2025/04/23

What happens when a celebration of speed and technology transforms into a tragedy of unimaginable proportions? That’s the story of the 1955 Le Mans disaster, where a split-second collision sent a race car hurtling into packed grandstands, claiming 84 lives and injuring over 120 spectators in the deadliest accident in motorsport history.Sources:"1955 Le Mans Disaster: The Deadliest Crash in Motorsport History" by History EngineWikipedia page on the 1955 Le Mans disasterFind FINAL BOARDING CALL

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58:34

Helios Airways Flight 522

Final Boarding Call ·

2025/04/16

What happens when a single switch left in the wrong position turns a routine flight into one of aviation's most haunting tragedies? Join Alice and Zach as they explore the mysterious case of a Boeing 737 that continued flying on autopilot through the clear Mediterranean sky while something invisible and deadly was happening inside. Discover the cascade of small errors and misunderstandings that led to this unique disaster, and learn about the aviation safety changes implemented in its aftermath

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47:22

WestJet Flight 2652

Final Boarding Call ·

2025/04/09

Princess Juliana International Airport in Sint Maarten is one of the world's most challenging and famous landing approaches. Discover how a routine landing turned perilous when multiple factors aligned against an experienced flight crew.Sources: Transportation Safety Board of Canada investigation report Christine Negroni's aviation blog Wikipedia page on WestJet Flight 2652Find FINAL BOARDING CALL online: Website: finalboardingcallpodcast.com Instagram: @FinalBoardingCallPod Facebook: Final

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34:54

Aviation News Roundup - Q1 2025

Final Boarding Call ·

2025/04/02

Join Alice and Zach for a special quarterly roundup of recent aviation incidents and accidents from around the world. In this premiere edition, they explore five significant aviation events from the first quarter of 2025, including the deadliest U.S. air disaster in nearly 24 years, a medical flight crash in Philadelphia, a weight-related accident in Alaska, a miraculous survival story in Toronto, and an engine fire incident in Denver.Sources:PSA Airlines Midair Collision:"NTSB Issues Chilling

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01:02:28

British Airways Flight 5390

Final Boarding Call ·

2025/03/26

When the cockpit windscreen of British Airways Flight 5390 suddenly blows out at 17,300 feet, a routine morning flight turns into an unimaginable nightmare. With the captain partially ejected from the aircraft and facing the full force of sub-zero winds, co-pilot Alastair Atchison and the cabin crew find themselves in a desperate race against time. As the plane begins to dive through some of the busiest air lanes in Europe, they must make split-second decisions that will determine the fate of all 87

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39 results

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