Black Box Down

A true crime podcast in the air. Lifelong aviation enthusiast Gustavo Sorola and his co-host Chris Demarais break down the major accidents in aviation and the steps taken to prevent future disasters. If you like true-crime podcasts but want something fresh and unique, you’ll love Black Box Down. Subscribe now and fasten your seat belt.

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150 episodes
Updated Jun 29, 2023

Episodes150

Newest first

Jan 12, 2023 · 1 hr 6 min
Engine Fire Forces Emergency Landing Near Busy Roadway in the UK
Gustavo Sorola and Chris Demarais uncover the details of what happened to British Midland Airways Flight 092 after smoke filled the cabin signaling engine failure and forcing the Boeing 737 to attempt an emergency landing at a runway near a busy motorway in the UK. Find out what happened on this episode of Black Box Down. Find us on social media and buy our merch here! https://linktr.ee/BlackBoxDownPod Go to blackboxdownpod.com to support us directly!
Jan 5, 2023 · 57 min
Airbus Fails to Stop on Notoriously Short Runway in São Paulo
Gustavo Sorola and Chris Demarais sort through the details of what happened to Tam Airlines Flight 3054’s crash landing at Sao Paulo’s Congonhas airport under heavy rains on an infamous runway with a history of incidents due to the degree of difficulty involved in landing on it. How did the crew lose control, exit the runway, and collide with a gas station and a building immediately causing a fire killing all 187 people on board and 12 people on the ground? Find out what happened on this episod
Dec 29, 2022 · 42 min
Flight from Bangkok Disappears in the Himalayas
Chris Demarais and Gustavo Sorola uncover what caused Thai Airways International Flight 311 to cause the tragic crash deep in the Himalayan mountains. Find out what happened on this episode of Black Box Down.
Dec 22, 2022 · 52 min
Flight Data Recorder Stolen by Looters After Fatal Crash in Peru
Chris Demarais and Gustavo Sorola discover what happened after Transportes Aéreos Nacionales de Selva (TANS) Flight 204 disappeared in the Amazon jungle while attempting an emergency landing at Pucallpa Airport in Peru.
Dec 15, 2022 · 42 min
How Do Your Bags Actually Get to Where You Are Going?
Gustavo Sorola and Chris Demarais talk about the hidden world of baggage handling and how your bags end up wherever they end up. Find us on social media and buy our merch here! https://linktr.ee/BlackBoxDownPod Go to blackboxdownpod.com to support us directly!
Dec 1, 2022 · 56 min
The Hardest Part of Flying a Plane
Chris and Gus talk about the process of getting a pilot license as well as the challenges and situations you may not have thought about.
Nov 17, 2022 · 48 min
The Most Deadly Midair Collision of All Time
Chris Demarais and Gustavo Sorola get to the cause of how Saudia Flight 763 and Kazakhstan Airlines Flight 1907 collided to become the most deadly midair collision of all time. Find out what happened on this episode of Black Box Down.
Nov 10, 2022 · 1 hr 4 min
Demo Flight Collides with ‘Airplane Graveyard’ Mount Salak
Chris Demarais and Gustavo Sorola discover why a demonstration flight promoting the new Russian Sukhoi Superjet passenger aircraft ended in the tragic loss of life on the side of a steep mountain in Indonesia. Find out what happened in this episode of Black Box Down.
Nov 3, 2022 · 1 hr 5 min
Legendary F1 Racer Investigates a Crash
Chris Demarais and Gustavo Sorola get to the cause of how a Boeing 767 servicing legendary F1 racer Niki Lauda's airline became the deadliest crash in Thailand's history. Find out what happened in this episode of Black Box Down.
Oct 27, 2022 · 51 min
Engine Failure Forced This Flight to Ditch in the Mediterranean Sea
Chris Demarais and Gustavo Sorola uncover the root of the cause of why Tuninter Flight 1153 lost both engines and was forced to ditch into the Mediterranean causing it to break up on impact. Find out what happened in this episode of Black Box Down.
Oct 20, 2022 · 45 min
Disappeared Flight Found Crashed Into the Side of a Mountain
While on a visual approach, Trigana Air Flight 267, an ATR 42 turboprop with 54 people on board, contacts air traffic control and disappears into a cloud.
Oct 13, 2022 · 50 min
Why was this Test Flight Crash in the Mediterranean Declared a Crime Scene?
XL Airways Germany Flight 888T was on a test flight when it crashed into the Mediterranean Sea November 27, 2008, off the French coast killing all 7 people on board. During final approach, the flight disappeared from radar. Find out what happened on this episode of Black Box Down.
Oct 6, 2022 · 47 min
A Bad Case of Air Rage
Chris Demarais tells Gustavo Sorola all about incidents of air rage and how it can affect a flight. Find out what happens when passengers become a hazard in this episode of Black Box Down.
Sep 28, 2022 · 48 min
Northwest Airlink 5719 / Slam Dunk Gone Wrong
Northwest Airlink 5719 is about to land at Chisolm-Hibbing airport in Minnesota. Poor weather and a tail wind have forced the pilots to change their plans and land on the runway in the opposite direction from what they were initially cleared for.
Sep 22, 2022 · 48 min
Air Moorea 1121 / A Seven Minute Flight Ends in Tragedy
Air Moorea 1121, a seven minute long passenger flight between the islands of Moorea and Tahiti, has taken off for its quick flight. Witnesses on the beach are horrified as shortly after takeoff the plane plunged into the ocean below. What led to this disaster in paradise? Find out in this episode of Black Box Down.
Sep 15, 2022 · 48 min
Seaplane Tragedy in Miami / Chalk's Ocean Airways Flight 101
The plane impacts the water, killing all on board. What happened to Chalk’s Ocean Airways 101? Why did the wing separate from the fuselage? Find out on this episode of Black Box Down.
Sep 8, 2022 · 49 min
A History of Seaplanes with Brian Gaar / A Seaplane Made Out of Wood
Gustavo and Chris are joined by Brian Gaar from Ship Hits The Fan to learn about the history of seaplanes. Learn some fun facts in this bonus episode of Black Box Down.
Aug 25, 2022 · 52 min
Can An Airplane Take Off with an Elephant On Board / Movie Realism with Barbara Dunkelman
Gustavo and Chris are joined by Barbara Dunkelman from Squad Team Force to talk about more airplanes in movies.
Aug 11, 2022 · 51 min
Airplane Filled with Orphans Crashes / Explosive Decompression on Operation Babylift
A Lockheed C-5A Galaxy is carrying orphans out of Vietnam. Operation Babylift was a military operation during the Vietnam War to evacuate baby orphans and bring them to the United States and other countries. During the first flight of this operation, the airplane suffers an explosive decompression over the ocean. The crew try their best to bring the plane back to the Air Force base located near Saigon, but crash short of the runway. What caused this accident? Find out on this episode of Black Bo
Aug 4, 2022 · 53 min
A Failure the Pilots Were Never Trained For / TAM Flight 402 Crashes into São Paulo
A Fokker 100 crashes shortly after taking off in Brazil. TAM Flight 402 has an autothrottle failure during the takeoff roll. The pilots on board take the correct actions against this and continue with their takeoff. Shortly after lifting off the runway, the throttle for one of the engines reduces to idle. The crew fights against this but the throttle keeps falling back to idle. Quickly the pilots lose control of the plane and it crashes into the ground. What was wrong with the throttles on board

Black Box Down

Engine Fire Forces Emergency Landing Near Busy Roadway in the UK

Airbus Fails to Stop on Notoriously Short Runway in São Paulo

Flight from Bangkok Disappears in the Himalayas

Flight Data Recorder Stolen by Looters After Fatal Crash in Peru

How Do Your Bags Actually Get to Where You Are Going?

The Hardest Part of Flying a Plane

The Most Deadly Midair Collision of All Time

Demo Flight Collides with ‘Airplane Graveyard’ Mount Salak

Legendary F1 Racer Investigates a Crash

Engine Failure Forced This Flight to Ditch in the Mediterranean Sea

Disappeared Flight Found Crashed Into the Side of a Mountain

Why was this Test Flight Crash in the Mediterranean Declared a Crime Scene?

A Bad Case of Air Rage

Northwest Airlink 5719 / Slam Dunk Gone Wrong

Air Moorea 1121 / A Seven Minute Flight Ends in Tragedy

Seaplane Tragedy in Miami / Chalk's Ocean Airways Flight 101

A History of Seaplanes with Brian Gaar / A Seaplane Made Out of Wood

Can An Airplane Take Off with an Elephant On Board / Movie Realism with Barbara Dunkelman

Airplane Filled with Orphans Crashes / Explosive Decompression on Operation Babylift

A Failure the Pilots Were Never Trained For / TAM Flight 402 Crashes into São Paulo