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. 16H AGO

    Ram 2500 and 3500 Transmission Fires

    What happens when America's best-selling heavy-duty truck develops a flaw that can turn a routine highway drive into a fireball? Join Alice and Zach as they investigate a design defect that left Ram owners watching their six-figure trucks melt on the roadside—and the three-year gap between the first fires and corporate action. Discover how a 2019 engineering change created an invisible time bomb under the hood, learn about the "geyser effect" that turned transmission fluid into a blowtorch, and find out whether the recall fix actually solved the problem or just redirected it. SOURCES: NHTSA Safety Recall Report 22V-835 (Recall ZA3) - Stellantis transmission fire recallNHTSA ODI Preliminary Evaluation PE22-003 - Internal investigation documentationNHTSA Vehicle Owner Questionnaires (VOQ ID 11463132, 11425998, and related complaints)Stellantis Part 573 Defect Information Report - Technical breakdown of pressure buildup mechanismNHTSA CAIRS (Consumer Assistance Inquiries) - Field reports and warranty claims"Ram 2500 and 3500 Engine Fire Recall: What Owners Should Know" - Lemon Law Help by Knight Law GroupTFLTruck (The Fast Lane Truck) - Early investigative reporting on 68RFE overheatingMoparInsiders - Technical history of 68RFE transmission and 2019 valve body redesignRam truck owner forums (HDRams, Turbo Diesel Register) - Near-miss incidents and owner experiencesClass-action litigation documents (Top Class Actions, Robins Kaplan LLP) 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.

    44 min

  2. MAR 25

    US Airways Flight 1549

    What happens when a flock of birds turns an ordinary winter flight into a 208-second race against physics? Join Alice and Zach as they explore the incredible story of US Airways Flight 1549, where Captain Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger [SUL-en-berg-er] made a split-second decision that saved 155 lives on a freezing January afternoon. But this isn't just a story about one heroic pilot—it's about the ferry captains who arrived in four minutes with skills forged during 9/11, the flight attendant who evacuated passengers with a metal beam through her leg, and the strangers who formed human chains to pull survivors from 41-degree water. Discover how preparation, training, and an extraordinary cast of ordinary people transformed certain disaster into aviation's most celebrated survival story. Sources: Mayday: Air Disasters Season 10, Episode 5: "Hudson River Runway"NTSB Final Report NTSB/AAR-10/03Dave Sanderson's accounts and book "Moments Matter"Ric Elias TED Talk: "3 Things I Learned While My Plane Crashed"Flight attendant testimony from NTSB hearingsNY Waterway ferry captain interviews 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.

    1h 1m

  3. MAR 18

    Eastern Air Lines Flight 212

    On September 11, 1974, Eastern Air Lines Flight 212 crashed three miles short of the runway in Charlotte, North Carolina, killing 72 people. The cause wasn't mechanical failure or bad weather — it was a conversation. Discover how cockpit distraction during a routine approach led to one of aviation's most preventable tragedies, and learn about the landmark safety rule that now governs every takeoff and landing worldwide. Among the 72 lives lost were a father and his two sons — a family whose youngest sibling would grow up to become one of America's most recognizable voices and redefine how we talk about grief. Sources: National Transportation Safety Board: "Aircraft Accident Report: Eastern Air Lines, Inc., Douglas DC-9-31, N8984E, Charlotte, North Carolina, September 11, 1974" (Report No. AAR-75-09, May 23, 1975)Federal Aviation Administration: Federal Aviation Regulations (FAR) Part 121.542 and Part 135.100 (The "Sterile Cockpit Rule")Aviation Safety Network: "Accident Description — Eastern Air Lines Flight 212"Janes, Théoden and Fowler, Scott. "9/11/74: The Untold Story of Charlotte's Deadliest Plane Crash" (Multi-part series). The Charlotte Observer, September 2024Janes, Théoden and Fowler, Scott. "'I'm Human,' Said the Co-Pilot: The Fight to Regain His License." The Charlotte Observer, May 21, 2025Fowler, Scott. "Charlotte's Deadliest Plane Crash Has Finally Been Memorialized After 51 Years." The Charlotte Observer, September 10, 2025Sullenberger Aviation Museum: Flight 212 Memorial Dedication Ceremony Records, June 21, 2025Gerard, Philip. "The 1970s: Fatal Distraction." Our State Magazine, August 31, 2021 (includes extensive Colette Watson interview)"The Courage to Fly: Colette Watson's Story." Our State Magazine, 2021Cooper, Anderson. "Stephen Colbert: Grateful for Grief." All There Is Podcast, September 2022Lovell, Joel. "Stephen Colbert on Making The Late Show His Own." GQ, August 17, 2015Schorn, Daniel. "Stephen Colbert On Insincerity." CBS News, April 28, 2006Admiral Cloudberg. "The Rules of the Game: The Crash of Eastern Air Lines Flight 212" (aviation history analysis)SkyBrary. "Sterile Cockpit Compliance." Flight Safety Digest (context on FAA delay and pilot union resistance)NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System. "The Sterile Cockpit" (Directline #4, June 4, 1993) Find FINAL BOARDING CALL online: Website: finalboardingcallpodcast.comInstagram: @FinalBoardingCallPodFacebook: Final Boarding CallEmail: finalboardingcallpodcast@gmail.com 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.

    50 min

  4. MAR 11

    Amelia Earhart

    What happens when one of history's most celebrated aviators attempts to circumnavigate the globe and vanishes without a trace? Join Alice and Zach as they investigate the extraordinary life and mysterious disappearance of Amelia Earhart, a pioneering pilot who broke records, shattered glass ceilings, and captivated the world with her courage and determination. Discover how a woman who once avoided flying as a child became the first female to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean — through flames, mechanical failures, and near-death plunges — before setting her sights on becoming the first woman to fly around the world. Follow her final journey on July 2, 1937, as she and navigator Fred Noonan departed New Guinea for Howland Island and never arrived. We'll explore the cascade of equipment failures, weight-saving decisions, and communication breakdowns that turned a daring flight into aviation's greatest unsolved mystery. Sources: Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum: Used for official mission timelines, technical details of the "Flying Laboratory", and the communications logs between Earhart and the USS Itasca.The International Group for Historic Aircraft Recovery (TIGHAR): Used for the analysis of the radio antenna removal, the Hooven Report on direction-finding equipment, and research regarding post-loss radio signals."Amelia Earhart's Lockheed Electra 10E Special, NR16020" - This Day in Aviation: Provided detailed specifications for the Lockheed Electra 10E Special (NR16020), including engine performance and fuel modifications.Peter Hancock (University of Central Florida): A comprehensive reexamination of the human factors, ergonomics, and communication failures that plagued the final leg of the flight.Modern Sciences: An analysis of the radio frequency mismatches and the failure of the "homing" signal.Recall Aviation Analysis: A deep dive into the physics of the antennas and why the trailing wire was essential for the 500 kHz frequency.Britannica: Used for the foundational biography and the timeline of the first world flight attempt in March 1937."Lockheed Model 10-E Electra" - The Museum of Flight: Technical history of the Lockheed Model 10 series, including the design contributions of Kelly Johnson."Does Anyone Remember Fred Noonan?" - William Patrick Dean"Who Was Fred Noonan, Amelia Earhart's Navigator?" - Fox News"Fred Noonan" - TIGHAR (The International Group for Historic Aircraft Recovery)"Amelia Earhart, Her Husband and the Myths They Created" - The Washington Post"Amelia Earhart's Husband George Putnam 'Pushed Her to the Brink' New Book Claims" - People"How Amelia Earhart Became a Legend" - Radio Catskill 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.

    1h 1m

  5. MAR 4

    United Airlines Flight 585 / USAir Flight 427

    In the early 1990s, two Boeing 737s fall out of clear skies moments before landing. One in Colorado Springs. One outside Pittsburgh. In both cases, the crews are experienced professionals flying perfectly maintained aircraft. The engines are running normally at impact. The weather in Pittsburgh isn't even a factor. And the investigators who comb through both crash sites — the best aviation safety analysts in the world — find almost nothing. What follows is the longest crash investigation in aviation history: a decade-long hunt through wreckage, laboratory tests, and dead ends that will demand a third aircraft, one surviving pilot, and one extraordinary experiment before the truth finally gives itself up. One hundred and fifty-seven people died before anyone understood why. Sources: Mayday: Air Disaster, Season 4, Episode 5, "Hidden Danger"NTSB Aircraft Accident Report AAR-01/01 — United Airlines Flight 585, Amended Final Report, March 27, 2001NTSB Aircraft Accident Report AAR-99/01 — USAir Flight 427NTSB Human Performance Group Chairman's Factual Report — Eastwind Airlines Flight 517 (DCA96IA061)FAA Airworthiness Directive AD 94-01-07FAA Airworthiness Directive AD 99-11-05FAA Airworthiness Directive AD 2002-20-07FAA 737 Flight Controls Engineering Test and Evaluation Board (ETEB) Findings and Recommendations SummaryAuralis Skies, "The Day an Airplane Took Control — and No One Survived"The Seattle Times, "Safety at Issue: The 737" investigative seriesDenver Westword, "Flight Diversions"WTAE Pittsburgh, "Flight 427: Pennsylvania's Deadliest Plane Crash, 30 Years Later"Planesafe.org — Gail Dunham, "Safety – 737 United 585 – Postscript," June 7, 2001AeroTime, "Revisiting the Boeing 737 Rudder Issues of the '90s"Aviation Stack Exchange — Boeing 737 rudder servo valve vulnerability discussionSimple Flying — aircraft component temperature changes in flightNTSB Press Release, September 26, 2024 — urgent safety recommendations on Boeing 737 rudder systemAviation Safety Network — United Airlines Flight 585 accident descriptionAviation Safety Network — USAir Flight 427 accident descriptionWikipedia — United Airlines Flight 585Wikipedia — USAir Flight 427Wikipedia — Boeing 737 rudder issuesEverything Explained Today — United Airlines Flight 585 pilot biographical detailsJustapedia — Captain Harold GreenVirginia Tech Libraries — USAir Flight 427 passenger listHistorical Marker Database (HMDB) — Widefield Community Park memorial markerFind A Grave — Captain Peter GermanoFind A Grave — First Officer Charles B. "Chuck" Emmett III 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.

    41 min

  6. FEB 25

    JetBlue Flight 1954

    On February 15, 2019, a routine JetBlue flight from San Juan to Fort Lauderdale gained an unexpected passenger when a mother went into labor at 30,000 feet. With no hospital, no surgical team, and no way to pull over, the crew and a handful of strangers became the only thing standing between a safe delivery and a medical catastrophe. Join Alice and Zach as they explore what happens when a baby decides to arrive six miles above the Caribbean — and discover why delivering at altitude is far more dangerous than most people realize. This is the story of the "medical lottery," the invisible safety net that exists on every flight, and the remarkable coincidence that the plane carrying aviation's newest passenger was already named "Born to Be Blue." Sources: JetBlue Airways official statement, February 16, 2019"Baby Born Onboard JetBlue Flight" - TravelPulse, February 18, 2019"JetBlue passenger gives birth to baby boy" - Fox News, February 18, 2019"JetBlue Named a Plane 'Born to Be Blue'" - View from the Wing, February 17, 2019FAA Regulations 14 CFR 121.803 and Appendix A (Emergency Medical Kit requirements)Aviation Medical Assistance Act of 1998 (49 USC 44701)MedAire/MedLink ground physician advisory service documentation"How cabin crews deal with medical emergencies onboard an aircraft" - GlobalAir.com (2024)Diana Giraldo interviews re: Frontier Airlines in-flight delivery, 2022Dr. Dale Glenn interviews re: Delta Air Lines cryptic pregnancy delivery, 2021Journal of Travel Medicine study on documented in-flight births (1929-2018) 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.

    51 min

  7. FEB 18

    The Überlingen Mid-Air Collision

    On July 1, 2002, two aircraft collided at 36,000 feet over southern Germany, claiming 71 lives—including 45 Russian schoolchildren on what should have been the trip of a lifetime. Discover how a series of seemingly small mistakes—a short-staffed air traffic control center, malfunctioning equipment, and confusion over emergency protocols—created a perfect storm of disaster that could have been prevented at multiple points. Learn about the heartbreaking aftermath that devastated families across two continents and the unimaginable grief that followed one father home from the crash site. Sources: Mayday: Air Disasters episode "Deadly Crossroads" (Season 4, Episode 7)Official BFU (German Federal Bureau of Aircraft Accident Investigation) Final ReportCockpit Voice Recorder Database (tailstrike.com)Swiss Federal Court rulings on Skyguide liability (2007, 2011)Wikipedia articles on 2002 Überlingen mid-air collision and Vitaly KaloyevBureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives (BAAA)Communicatio Optima aviation safety analysisChina Daily court coverage (2007) 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.

    55 min

  8. FEB 11

    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.

    1h 6m
See All (54)

4
out of 5
6 Ratings

About

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.

Information

  • Creator
    Alice Stern
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    54
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2026 Alice Stern
  • Show Website
    Final Boarding Call

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