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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.

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  • 23 episodes
  • weekly
  • Avg 51 min
  • English

Episodes 23

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  • #57
    April 15 · 53 min

    Air Astana Flight 1388

    What happens when maintenance technicians reverse a single set of cables, turning a routine ferry flight into a two-hour battle for survival? Join Alice and Zach as they explore the harrowing story of Air Astana Flight 1388, where three pilots found themselves fighting an aircraft that did the exact opposite of what they commanded. With the plane flipping inverted, pulling crushing g-forces, and tearing itself apart in Portuguese skies, the crew faced an impossible challenge: land an aircraft that simply would not obey. Discover how quick thinking, exceptional teamwork, and sheer physical endurance turned what should have been a fatal crash into one of aviation's most remarkable survival stories. SOURCES Official Accident Investigation Report - Gabinete de Prevenção e Investigação de Acidentes com Aeronaves e de Acidentes Ferroviários (GPIAAF), Portugal "Runaway AIRCRAFT! This Aircraft Flew TWO HOURS Without CONTROLS!" - Mentour Pilot YouTube Channel "Air Astana Flight 1388 - Uncontrollable" - Mini Air Crash Investigation YouTube Channel "How to Land a 'Completely Uncontrollable' Passenger Jet" - Alex Davies, WIRED Magazine "How A Maintenance Error Caused Severe Control Issues Onboard Air Astana Flight 1388 In 2018" - Nicole Kylie, Simple Flying Aviation Safety Network Database Entry for Air Astana Flight 1388 "Air Astana Out Of Control (KC1833 in 2018)" - Fear of Landing FIND FINAL BOARDING CALL ONLINE: Website: finalboardingcallpodcast.com Email: finalboardingcallpodcast@gmail.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.

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  • #56
    April 8 · 50 min

    China Eastern Airlines Flight 5735

    On March 21, 2022, a Boeing 737 carrying 132 people entered a near-vertical dive over southern China. Forty minutes into a routine one-hour flight, it was gone — no mayday call, no distress signal, no warning of any kind. But then something strange happened: for thirty seconds, the plane climbed back up. Join Alice and Zach as they piece together what the flight recorders revealed, what one government has refused to tell the world, and why the truth behind this disaster has now been officially classified as a matter of national security. SOURCES: "China Eastern Crash Lab Data Suggests Intentional Nosedive" — The Wall Street Journal, Andrew Tangel and Alison Sider "China Eastern Flight 5735: No Evidence of Mechanical Failure in Preliminary Report" — Reuters "Four Years Later: China Eastern Investigators Offer No Answers" — Channel News Asia "China's CAAC Invokes National Security to Keep Crash Investigation Secret" — Wikipedia Reference Archive "The Mysterious Descent of MU5735: What the Black Boxes Really Told the NTSB" — Simple Flying "Pressure on Families: The Non-Disclosure Agreements of China Eastern" — The Kathmandu Post "Boeing 737-800 Safety Records and the Silence of Post-Crash Bulletins" — Boeing Newsroom "China Eastern MU5735 — Was This a Deliberate Crash?" — Mentour Pilot "Black Box Analyzed for Pilots' Actions in China Eastern Airlines Crash" — ABC News, Karson Yiu and Bill Hutchinson "China Eastern Crash May Have Been Intentional" — BBC News "US Officials Say Evidence Suggests Intentional Crash of China Eastern Jet" — CNN, Nectar Gan "China Eastern Airlines Flight 5735 Crashes En Route to Guangzhou" — Flightradar24 Blog, Ian Petchenik "Preliminary Report on China Eastern Airlines Flight MU5735 Accident" — Civil Aviation Administration of China FIND FINAL BOARDING CALL ONLINE: Website: finalboardingcallpodcast.com Email: finalboardingcallpodcast@gmail.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.

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  • #55
    April 1 · 43 min

    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 recall NHTSA ODI Preliminary Evaluation PE22-003 - Internal investigation documentation NHTSA Vehicle Owner Questionnaires (VOQ ID 11463132, 11425998, and related complaints) Stellantis Part 573 Defect Information Report - Technical breakdown of pressure buildup mechanism NHTSA 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 Group TFLTruck (The Fast Lane Truck) - Early investigative reporting on 68RFE overheating MoparInsiders - Technical history of 68RFE transmission and 2019 valve body redesign Ram truck owner forums (HDRams, Turbo Diesel Register) - Near-miss incidents and owner experiences Class-action litigation documents (Top Class Actions, Robins Kaplan LLP) FIND FINAL BOARDING CALL ONLINE: Website: finalboardingcallpodcast.com Email: finalboardingcallpodcast@gmail.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.

    • Transcript
Showing 21–23 of 23 episodes