Final Boarding Call

By: Alice Stern
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  • Summary

  • 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 and celebrating the heroism that emerges in crisis. From ghost planes circling on autopilot to pilots sucked out of windshields at 17,000 feet, we unpack these incidents with equal parts fascination and respect for the lessons they've taught us. So stow your tray tables, fasten your seatbelts, and prepare for turbulence—because not every trip reaches its final destination.
    Copyright 2025 Alice Stern
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Episodes
  • Aeroflot Flight 593

    Aeroflot Flight 593
    May 7 2025

    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 cockpit access policies and highlighted the unforgiving consequences of breaking aviation's fundamental safety rules.

    Sources:

    • Mayday: Air Crash Investigation - Season 3, Episode 10, titled "Kid in the Cockpit"
    • Official accident investigation reports from the Interstate Aviation Committee
    • Interviews with aviation safety experts and crash investigators
    • Wikipedia page on Aeroflot Flight 593


    Find FINAL BOARDING CALL online: Website: finalboardingcallpodcast.com Instagram: @FinalBoardingCallPod Facebook: Final Boarding Call

    Credits: 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.
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    1 hr and 1 min
  • The Tenerife Airport Disaster

    The Tenerife Airport Disaster
    Apr 30 2025

    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 disaster

    Find FINAL BOARDING CALL online:

    Website: finalboardingcallpodcast.com

    Instagram: @FinalBoardingCallPod

    Facebook: Final Boarding Call

    Credits:

    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.
    Show More Show Less
    1 hr and 4 mins
  • The 1955 Le Mans Disaster

    The 1955 Le Mans Disaster
    Apr 23 2025

    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 Engine

    Wikipedia page on the 1955 Le Mans disaster


    Find FINAL BOARDING CALL online:

    Website: finalboardingcallpodcast.com

    Instagram: @FinalBoardingCallPod

    Facebook: Final Boarding Call


    Credits:

    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.
    Show More Show Less
    53 mins

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In the spirit of reconciliation, Audible acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.