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 case reveals how a deliberate act of sabotage transformed a highly regulated safety system into a death trap. Discover the forensic investigation that revealed the shocking truth behind this aerial disaster and the aviation safety modifications implemented in its aftermath.

Happy Father's Day to all the amazing dads and dad figures out there—minus the human trash pile we talk about in this episode! Speaking of Father's Day, Alice got Zach a tandem skydive experience as his gift this year. Let's hope it goes better than Victoria's jump!

Sources:

• Love Murder Podcast - Victoria Cilliers case coverage

• Trial by Podcast - Two-part series on the Victoria Cilliers case

• Court records and trial transcripts

• Documentary footage from Channel 4

• Investigative reports from Wiltshire Police

• British Parachute Association incident reports

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.

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 design limits, and ultimately saved their own lives through sheer determination and incredible flying skills. This is one of aviation's most remarkable stories of survival against impossible odds.

SOURCES:

    •    Mayday: Air Disasters episode "Fight for Your Life"

    •    Official NTSB report on FedEx Flight 705

    •    Court records from Auburn Calloway's trial

    •    Interviews with survivors Dave Sanders, Jim Tucker, and Andy Peterson

    •    "Hijacked: The True Story of the Heroes of Flight 705" by Dave Hirschman

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.

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 examination of America's deadliest air disaster reveals how a complex chain of design vulnerabilities, maintenance errors, and regulatory oversights culminated in tragedy and permanently altered the public's perception of what was once considered one of the most advanced passenger jets in the world.

Sources:

• "What Caused The Crash Of American Airlines Flight 191?" - Simple Flying, by Jake Hardiman & Luke Bodell, updated February 8, 2024
• "Aircraft Accident Report: American Airlines, Inc., DC-10-10, N110AA, Chicago-O'Hare International Airport, Chicago, Illinois, May 25, 1979" - National Transportation Safety Board, Report Number AAR-79-17
• "American Airlines Flight 191" - Wikipedia article documenting the accident, investigation findings, and aftermath
• "Seconds From Disaster: Chicago Plane Crash" - National Geographic documentary, Season 1, Episode 5
• "Air Disaster: Catastrophe at O'Hare" - Smithsonian Channel documentary examining the crash and investigation
• "Breaking Point" - MSNBC Why Planes Crash series, Season 1, Episode 2
• "Fatal Force: The Crash of American Airlines Flight 191" - FAA Lessons Learned document analyzing maintenance failures

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.

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 Galaxyland
• History and Headlines: June 14, 1986: A Mind-bending Disaster
• CBC News: Survivor of 1986 mall coaster crash wants memorial

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.

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 Pilot
• Wikipedia page on Eastern Air Lines Flight 401

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.

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 pilots. Discover how split-second decisions averted catastrophe and how this terrifying incident fundamentally changed aviation safety protocols worldwide.

• SimpleFlying.com article: https://simpleflying.com/japan-airlines-mid-air-incident/
• Wikipedia page: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2001_Japan_Airlines_mid-air_incident

• Website: finalboardingcallpodcast.com
• Instagram: @FinalBoardingCallPod
• Facebook: Final Boarding Call discussion group

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 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.

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.

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.

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. Buckle up for one of the eeriest aviation mysteries in recent history.

Sources: 

Mayday: Air Disaster documentary series, Season 4, Episode 10 

Out of Oxygen! The Tragic Story of Helios Airways Flight 522 by Mentour Pilot

Official accident investigation report

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.