Final Boarding Call

Alice Stern

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.

  1. VOR 1 TAG

    The Olympic, Titanic and Brittanic

    Three people survived the Olympic collision in 1911, the Titanic sinking in 1912, and the Britannic disaster in 1916. Six months later, two of them were on the same ship when a German torpedo struck. One survived this fourth disaster. One didn't. The survivor was then rejected by every shipping line in Britain—not because he lacked skill, but because sailors refused to work with "the jinx." Discover the devastating true story of Violet Jessop, Arthur John Priest, and Archie Jewell—the only three people to survive all three maritime disasters. Sources: "Titanic Survivor: The Newly Discovered Memoirs of Violet Jessop Who Survived Both the Titanic and Britannic Disasters" edited by John Maxtone-Graham (1997, Sheridan House Inc.)British Board of Trade Official Inquiry into the Loss of the SS Titanic (1912) - Lord Mersey's ReportU.S. Senate Inquiry into the Titanic Disaster - Senate Subcommittee Hearings chaired by Senator William Alden Smith (1912)White Star Line Crew Agreements and Official Logs - National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, UKEncyclopedia Titanica - Biographical entries for Violet Jessop, Arthur John Priest, and Archie Jewell (www.encyclopedia-titanica.org)Commonwealth War Graves Commission Records - Archie Jewell memorial entry, Tower Hill Memorial, LondonWreckSite.eu - SS Donegal sinking documentation (torpedoed April 17, 1917 by UC-27)Tower Hill Memorial Records - Merchant Navy casualties with no known grave"Official History of the War: Naval Operations" - documentation of SS Donegal torpedoing by German submarine UC-27Southampton Stories - local historical accounts of White Star Line crew membersThe Old Salt Blog - "Arthur John Priest: The Unsinkable Stoker" and related maritime history articlesBBC History - biographical profiles of Titanic survivorsMaritime Archaeology Trust - White Star Line vessel documentation and crew recordsNational Maritime Museum Collections - Olympic-class ship records and crew manifests Find FINAL BOARDING CALL online: Website: finalboardingcallpodcast.comEmail: finalboardingcallpodcast@gmail.comInstagram: @FinalBoardingCallPodFacebook: 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.

    1 Std. 6 Min.
  2. 4. FEB.

    JetBlue Flight 1230

    On October 30, 2025, a JetBlue flight from Cancun suddenly dove without warning, slamming passengers into the cabin ceiling and hospitalizing 15 people. The pilots hadn't touched the controls. The plane was on autopilot. What investigators discovered wasn't pilot error or mechanical failure—it was something aviation engineers had never prepared for, a vulnerability hiding in plain sight that would trigger the largest emergency grounding in Airbus history within weeks. Join Alice and Zach as they unravel how a burst of solar radiation exploited a software flaw, why 6,000 aircraft were pulled from service during Thanksgiving week, and how this incident transformed aviation safety forever. Sources: National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) preliminary investigation documentsEuropean Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) Emergency Airworthiness Directive 2025-0234-EFederal Aviation Administration (FAA) Emergency Airworthiness Directive 2025-24-51Airbus Alert Operators Transmission (AOT) A320-27-3301"WHAT Actually Grounded the Global Airbus A320 Fleet?!" - Mentour Pilot YouTube channel"Solar Flare Fallout: Airbus A320 Global Grounding" - Aviation analysis"When the Sun Strikes Back: How a Solar Flare Nearly Took Down an Airbus A320" - Pavel Zlatník, MediumIndia Today: "How a solar explosion grounded 6,000 Airbus planes globally"CNN Aviation: "Thousands of passenger planes need emergency maintenance"NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center solar activity reports (October 2025)University of Surrey Space Engineering Department radiation dataFlightRadar24 flight tracking data for JetBlue Flight 1230Reddit r/aviation passenger testimonialsLiveATC audio recordings Find FINAL BOARDING CALL online: Website: finalboardingcallpodcast.comEmail: finalboardingcallpodcast@gmail.comInstagram: @FinalBoardingCallPodFacebook: 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.

    56 Min.
  3. 21. JAN.

    Pan Am Flight 214

    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 archives Find FINAL BOARDING CALL online: Website: finalboardingcallpodcast.comEmail: finalboardingcallpodcast@gmail.comInstagram: @FinalBoardingCallPodFacebook: 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.

    57 Min.
  4. 7. JAN.

    Aviation News Roundup - Q4 2025

    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...

    27 Min.
  5. 31.12.2025

    British Airways Flight 009

    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 report Find FINAL BOARDING CALL online: Website: finalboardingcallpodcast.comEmail: finalboardingcallpodcast@gmail.comInstagram: @FinalBoardingCallPodFacebook: 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.

    1 Std. 5 Min.

Info

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.