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 settlement over the 737 MAX crashes, and Pan Am's surprising return to the skies as a luxury travel experience.

Newark Airport ATC Outages:

• "Following Newark Airport Blackouts, Blumenthal Calls on Trump Administration to Step Up and Protect the Flying Public" - Senator Richard Blumenthal's Office
• "A Newark Air Traffic Controller on the Moment Systems Went Dark" - NPR
• "Newark Airport Air Traffic Controllers Radar Outage Planes" - CNBC
• "Air Traffic Control Denver FAA" - The New York Times
• "FAA Investigating After Newark Air Traffic Control Suffered Two Second Outage" - Reuters
• "Newark Airport Outage Monday" - CNN
• "FAA Statements Newark Liberty International Airport" - Federal Aviation Administration

Air India Flight 171 Crash:

• "Air India jet crash kills 246 people, with at least 1 passenger surviving: Officials" - ABC News
• "LIVE | Air India flight crash in Ahmedabad: 241 people on board dead; one miracle survivor, says police" - The New Indian Express
• "Man Who Survived Air India Plane Crash Was Able to Describe the Tragedy from His Hospital Bed" - People Magazine

San Diego Cessna Citation II Crash (Murphy Canyon):

• "2025 San Diego Cessna Citation II crash" - Wikipedia
• "Cessna 550 Citation Crashes into Murphy Canyon Neighbourhood San Diego May 22 2025" - Ramos Law
• "San Diego plane crash" - CNN
• "Victims identified in fatal San Diego plane crash" - KPBS
• "Music agent Shapiro among six killed Citation crash" - AIN Online
• "Jet crashed neighborhood now live dread active flight path" - NBC News

San Diego Cessna 414 Crash (Point Loma):

• "Six were killed when small plane crashed off San Diego coast, FAA" - NBC San Diego
• "All 6 victims in plane crash off coast of Point Loma identified" - 10News
• "Six killed in plane crash near San Diego" - Aviation A2Z
• "Search underway for six passengers after plane crash near Point Loma coast guard leads multi agency rescue efforts" - Hoodline
• "Plane crash San Diego ocean Cessna NTSB" - Associated Press

Hudson River Helicopter Crash:

• "2025 Hudson River helicopter crash" - Wikipedia
• "Hudson River helicopter crash" - CNN
• "Hudson River helicopter crash NTSB preliminary report" - CBS News
• "Hudson helicopter crash what we know" - CNN International
• "Helicopter fatal New York crash lacked flight recorders NTSB says" - Reuters
• "Hudson River helicopter crash" - BBC News
• "Hudson River helicopter crash" - The New York Times
• "Helicopter rotor retrieved Hudson River days after deadly" - ABC News

Boeing 737 MAX Settlement:

• "Boeing won't face criminal prosecution over fatal 737 Max crashes" - USA Today
• "Boeing Justice Department 737 max plane crashes charges deal" - NPR
• "United States v Boeing Company" - U.S. Department of Justice
• "Boeing reaches deal with US DOJ to avoid prosecution over 737 max crashes" - Al Jazeera
• "Justice Department reaches deal to allow Boeing to avoid prosecution over 737 max crashes" - MPR News
• "Boeing 737 max crashes DOJ" - CNBC
• "Boeing 737 max crashes" - The New York Times
• "Families of

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 instructor, volunteered to help, the stage was set for one of aviation's greatest demonstrations of teamwork and skill. Discover how their extraordinary crew resource management achieved what experts called "The Impossible Landing" and changed aviation safety forever.

Sources:

• Mayday: Air Disasters - Season 11, Episode 13, titled "Impossible Landing"
• NTSB Aircraft Accident Report NTSB/AAR-90/06
• United Airlines Flight 232 Wikipedia entry
• Flight 232: A Story of Disaster and Survival by Laurence Gonzales

Find FINAL BOARDING CALL online:

• Website: finalboardingcallpodcast.com
• Instagram: @FinalBoardingCallPod
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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 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

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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.