Air Disasters - The Black Box Files

Epizode

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  The single flight plan that left five seats and no explanation 20.09.2026 20min

  A cultural patron boards a light aircraft in Alaska on July 30, 1992 - one unexplained flight plan. Did they make it in time?The single flight plan that left five seats and no explanationIn this episode, we trace the life and last known journey of Kenneth Baillieu Myer and the five-person flight that ended in wreckage in Alaska. The episode covers his wartime service, decades of cultural leadership in Australia, and the unanswered questions surrounding the trip that preceded the crash.Person: Kenneth Baillieu MyerDate: July 30, 1992Location: AlaskaEvent: Light aircraft crash with five occupantsPeriod: 1921-1992- Born March 1, 1921 in San Francisco as a legal measure to secure his status under Australian law.- Awarded the Distinguished Service Cross for action near Port Moresby on August 15, 1944 while serving in the Royal Australian Navy.- Joined Myer Emporium as a director in 1948 and later served as Chairman and a director through the Coles Myer merger until 1989.- Decades-long cultural roles: Honorary Secretary of the National Gallery Society of Victoria (from 1948), co-founder of the Myer Foundation (1959), chairman of the Victorian Arts Centre Trust (until 1989), and chairman of the National Library council (1974-1982).- Married Yasuko Hiraoka in 1979; both died on the same day in the same aircraft that crashed in Alaska, a trip whose purpose was never publicly documented.To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: [email protected].
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  The Convair that ran out of fuel - did they make it? 19.09.2026 22min

  A Convair runs out of fuel over Mississippi while Lynyrd Skynyrd's frontman nears his self‑predicted thirtieth birthday - did they make it in time?The Convair that ran out of fuel - did they make it?In this episode, we follow the days and decisions leading up to a Convair CV-240 losing power over Mississippi and the life of Ronnie Van Zant as it approached his vowed thirtieth year. We trace his upbringing, the band's rise, and the eerie repetitions - the nickname, the number, the location - that framed the night everyone remembers. What do these details mean for the moments before the crash?Person: Ronald Wayne Van ZantDate: October 20, 1977Event: Convair CV-240 ran out of fuel over MississippiAlbum cover: Street Survivors (release October 20, 1977)Nickname: "The Mississippi Kid"- Ronnie Van Zant repeatedly told friends and family he would never reach thirty, saying the number aloud to his father, bandmates, and on the road.- Four months before his thirtieth birthday, Lynyrd Skynyrd completed Street Survivors and posed Van Zant on the cover wearing a Neil Young T-shirt.- The band formed in Jacksonville in 1964 from classmates and long-time collaborators, evolving from backyard gigs to headlining stages by 1977.- On the night of October 20, 1977, the group's charter plane, a Convair CV-240 twin-engine aircraft, ran out of fuel over Mississippi.- Band members and associates had begun hearing Ronnie call himself "The Mississippi Kid" with no explained connection to the state.To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: [email protected].
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  The Controller's Ten-Second Radio Order Overrode the TCAS Seconds Left 18.09.2026 21min

  A traffic-collision warning orders climb while a controller over southern Germany radios descent - did the pilots follow TCAS or the controller?The Controller's Ten-Second Radio Order Overrode the TCAS Seconds LeftIn this episode, we follow two commercial flights converging over southern Germany with less than seventy seconds separating them. The episode covers the chain of human decisions, degraded systems, and the critical radio instruction that arrived just after a TCAS advisory - who acted and what mattered most in those final seconds?Date: July 1, 2002Location: Brachenreute, southern GermanyEvent: Midair conflict between Bashkirian Tupolev and DHL BoeingPerson: Peter NielsenAircraft: Bashkirian Tupolev Tupolev 154 (RA-85816) and DHL Boeing 757 (Flight 611)- Two aircraft occupied the same altitude at 34,890 feet and were closing at a combined speed near 1,800 km/h with about 68 seconds to impact.- The Bashkirian flight carried a UNESCO-sponsored group of children from Ufa bound for Barcelona; many passengers were twelve and thirteen years old.- Skyguide controller Peter Nielsen was working alone on two workstations while primary radar, telephone links, and a visual collision warning were under maintenance.- With 60 seconds remaining Nielsen diverted attention to a delayed Aero Lloyd flight, turning away from his radar as the two aircraft converged.- At 23:34:49 TCAS issued a climb to the Tupolev and a descend to the Boeing; eleven seconds later Nielsen instructed the Tupolev to descend to FL350.To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: [email protected].
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  The loose ski boot jammed the gear and stole their last minutes 17.09.2026 16min

  A loose ski boot jammed the landing gear of a small plane on a frozen Alaskan airstrip, delaying a naturalist's birthday flight. Did they make it in time?The loose ski boot jammed the gear and stole their last minutesIn this episode, we follow the final hours before a small plane’s fatal takeoff from Unalakleet, Alaska, tracing the decisions, technical failures and personal moments that led up to the crash. What tiny choices and mechanical details turned a routine departure into a catastrophe?Person: Félix Samuel Rodríguez de la FuenteDate: March 14, 1980Location: Unalakleet airstrip, near Shaktoolik, AlaskaEvent: Aircraft took off with a loose ski boot on the landing gearTopic: Final minutes, mechanical failure and pre-flight decisions- Félix celebrated his fifty-second birthday the morning he boarded the flight after arriving to cover the Iditarod.- He had a documented fear of flying but traveled because his documentary plans demanded it.- The plane climbed only a few dozen meters and then suddenly stopped climbing during takeoff.- A loose ski boot on the landing gear and a tiny latch or pin failure are cited as critical mechanical factors.- Ten days earlier Félix presented a Global Strategy for the Protection of Biodiversity before the Spanish king and queen, then departed for Alaska with a full filming schedule.To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: [email protected].
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  The notebook that counted down metres - and ran out of altitude 16.09.2026 23min

  A passenger's notebook tracks a Douglas DC-2's frantic descent through cloud and ice over the Alps - did the crew reach safety before the pen stopped?The notebook that counted down metres - and ran out of altitudeIn this episode, we follow the thirty-four-minute Milan-Frankfurt flight of KLM's DC-2 PH-AKG, piecing together radio transmissions and five notebook pages to see what unfolded inside the cabin. The episode lays out the flight, the crew, and the escalating conditions, and asks what the altitude entries really meant for the people aboard.Date: 20 July 1935Aircraft: Douglas DC-2 PH-AKGFlight time: 34 minutesPassengers aboard: 13Notebook last entry: 2100 metres- Departure from Milan at 11:56 local for a routine Alpine crossing via the San Bernardino pass.- Captain Johannes van der Feijst with 3,200 flight hours, plus flight engineer Vocke and radio operator Aafjes in the cockpit.- Passenger Jos van Langen, a 25-year-old foreign editor, kept a running notebook and began recording altitudes fifteen minutes after takeoff.- The Gaai climbed through 4,000, 4,500 and then into 5,000 metres before entering dense cloud and heavy-sounding precipitation.- Radio transmissions reached the ground while five notebook pages grew progressively harder to read, ending with “2100” metres and the pen falling silent.To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: [email protected].
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  210 metres from the runway - and 64 people did not survive 15.09.2026 18min

  An Aeroflot Il-18 descends toward Alma-Ata while a senior check captain with a lapsed medical certificate holds authority - did they make it in time?210 metres from the runway - and 64 people did not surviveIn this episode, we follow the flight from Moscow through Omsk to Alma-Ata and the sequence of decisions, broken procedures, and missing weather reports that shaped the final approach. What combinations of errors and choices put the aircraft two hundred and ten metres short of the runway?Date: 4 January 1965Aircraft: Ilyushin Il-18B, registration CCCP-75685Route: Domodedovo - Omsk - Alma-AtaCrew: Captain Konstantin Artamonov; co-pilot Nikolai Slamikhin; flight engineer Anatoliy Shakirov; navigator Vladimir Pristavka; radio operator Nikolay SafonovPassengers: 103 on board- Departure from Domodedovo was delayed by nearly three hours after an engine repair, compressing the day’s schedule.- Rishat Azakov, head of the Kazakh Civil Aviation Directorate, boarded as check captain with supervisory authority despite lacking a current medical certificate and having already worked about fifteen hours.- The meteorological service stopped issuing weather updates during the critical period; scheduled reports at 20:00, 20:15 and 20:30 were not sent.- Another Il-18 had returned after two attempts and informed operations that no Il-18 could safely land in the conditions, yet Flight 20 was cleared to descend five minutes later.- The aircraft struck frozen ground 210 metres right of runway 23, flying ten metres below the altitude where the crew should have seen the runway.To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: [email protected].
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  The free upgrade that moved him off Flight 800 - did he make it? 14.09.2026 19min

  A free upgrade on July 16, 1996 moved Jed Johnson onto TWA Flight 800 - a single choice that put him on a doomed plane. Did he make it in time?The free upgrade that moved him off Flight 800 - did he make it?In this episode, we follow the life moments that led Jed Johnson to accept a free first-class seat the night TWA Flight 800 disintegrated, tracing his path from Midwestern roots to Andy Warhol’s inner circle and a career in high‑end interior design. What does one small, ordinary decision reveal about how his life was lived - and what happened that night?Person: Jed JohnsonDate: July 17, 1996Location: Atlantic off the coast of Long IslandEvent: TWA Flight 800 disintegrationBirth Date: December 30, 1948- He accepted an airline upgrade that moved his departure up by one day and placed him on Flight 800.- Born in Alexandria, Minnesota, he was a twin and the fourth of six children, later living in Scottsdale and Fair Oaks.- At nineteen he arrived in New York, was hired at Andy Warhol’s Factory, and became Warhol’s close companion after the 1968 shooting.- He taught himself spatial design while organizing Warhol’s townhouse and later designed Warhol’s East Sixty‑sixth Street home over four years.- His design work, featured in Vogue, led to commissions from Mick Jagger, Bianca Jagger, Barbra Streisand, and others.To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: [email protected].
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  The Transponder That Began Cycling Saved No Seconds, Did They Make It? 13.09.2026 22min

  A passenger on a transcontinental flight calls his father as the Boeing’s transponder cycles through codes; did they make it in time?The Transponder That Began Cycling Saved No Seconds, Did They Make It?In this episode, we follow the twenty-one minutes before United Airlines Flight 175 vanished from recorded flight data and trace the calls, choices, and movements aboard the Boeing 767. What do the phone calls, seating moves, and a cycling transponder reveal about those final minutes?Flight: United Airlines Flight 175Date: September 11, 2001Aircraft: Boeing 767, registration N612UACaptain: Victor Saracini; First Officer: Michael HorrocksPassengers aboard: 51- Passengers included Peter, Sue, and two-year-old Christine Hanson seated in row 19 C, D, E and several crew of six flight attendants with Purser Kathryn Laborie.- Five men boarded at Gate 19, Terminal C between 7:23 and 7:28 a.m.; their leader was Marwan al-Shehhi, a trained pilot who practiced in simulators.- At 8:42 a.m. Captain Saracini made the last transmission, reporting someone keyed the mic and saying, "Everyone stay in your seats."- Four minutes later the aircraft was off course and the transponder began cycling through codes: 1470 then 3020 before communications ceased.- Two phone calls from a passenger in seat 30E to his father documented weapons, injuries, and intentions in real time while no cockpit voice or data recorders were ever recovered.To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: [email protected].
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  The flaps set at five degrees left them racing the runway clock 12.09.2026 22min

  A captain and first officer race a Boeing 737 toward Yogyakarta with flaps at five degrees and alarms screaming-did they make it in time?The flaps set at five degrees left them racing the runway clockIn this episode, we follow the final minutes of Garuda Indonesia Flight GA 200 as recorded by the flight and cockpit voice recorders. The episode lays out the sequence of speeds, flap settings, alarms and cockpit exchanges that led up to the runway crossing and asks what decisions sealed the aircraft's fate.Date: March 7, 2007Flight: Garuda Indonesia Flight GA 200Aircraft: Boeing 737‑497, registration PK‑GZCPerson: Captain Muhammad Marwoto Komar (44), First Officer Gagam Saman Rohmana (30)Passengers: 133 aboard, including 21 foreign nationals- At 07:07 the aircraft touched down 860 meters past the runway threshold; normal touchdown is roughly 300 meters.- The plane crossed the outer approach at 241 knots when the standard speed should have been 141 knots.- First Officer Rohmana set flaps to 5 degrees-the maximum safe at that speed-while Captain Komar requested 15 degrees.- Every alarm in the cockpit was sounding and the cockpit voice recorder captured repeated, unanswered prompts and silences.- Six days earlier Garuda introduced a fuel‑saving bonus for crews who arrived under expected fuel, a detail Komar later denied influenced his actions.To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: [email protected].
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  The maintenance shortcut that cracked the flange and doomed Flight 191 11.09.2026 21min

  A cracked flange at O'Hare and a DC-10 climbing away with an engine on the runway - did they make it in time?The maintenance shortcut that cracked the flange and doomed Flight 191In this episode, we follow the documented sequence of events that began in a Tulsa hangar and culminated thirty-one seconds after takeoff at O'Hare. The episode traces the people aboard, the decisions in maintenance, and the metal evidence that held a warning - but did anyone see it before it was too late?Date: May 25, 1979Flight: American Airlines Flight 191Aircraft: McDonnell Douglas DC-10, tail N110AALocation: O'Hare runway 32REvent: Engine separation after takeoff- The number one engine tore away from the left wing during the takeoff roll and fell onto the runway as the aircraft continued climbing.- The crack in a metal flange had been growing for fifty-nine days, cycle by cycle, before the failure.- Fifty-nine days earlier, the aircraft underwent an engine change in Tulsa where American Airlines used a 27-step shortcut instead of the manufacturer's 79-step procedure.- The cockpit crew held the prescribed attitude and airspeed exactly as the manual required in the seconds after separation.- Investigators found the fracture in the wreckage and read its history in the metal, linking the failure to the maintenance change.To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: [email protected].
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  The flight idle gate that Spencer breached - and whether four minutes was enough 10.09.2026 18min

  A turboprop dives toward Madang with a safety device missing - can the crew stop the plane in four minutes and change the outcome?The flight idle gate that Spencer breached - and whether four minutes was enoughIn this episode we follow the final minutes of Airlines PNG Flight 1600, the thirty-minute hop from Lae to Madang that became a disaster in four minutes and eighteen seconds. We lay out the timeline, the crew actions and the missing safety component that investigators would focus on - what questions remain about responsibility and system design?Date: 13 October 2011Flight: Airlines PNG Flight 1600Aircraft: DHC-8-100, registration P2-MCJPerson: Captain William Spencer; First Officer Campbell WagstaffPassengers: 32 aboard, 4 walked away- Flight 1600 departed Lae Nadzab at 16:47 local time bound for Madang with a scheduled 30-minute flight.- The aircraft climbed to 16,000 ft, diverted around thunderstorms, then entered a steeper descent that built high airspeed.- An overspeed warning sounded; Spencer called for higher propeller RPM while managing the descent.- Spencer pulled the power levers past the physical flight idle gate into the ground beta range while still airborne.- Investigators spent nearly three years focused not on a deep mechanical flaw but on why a working safety device was not installed on this airplane.To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: [email protected].
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  The Controller Said the Wrong Flight Number - Did They Make It? 09.09.2026 21min

  A trainee Tokyo controller misheard flight numbers as two JAL airliners closed to 135 meters over Suruga Bay-did they make it in time?The Controller Said the Wrong Flight Number - Did They Make It?In this episode, we follow the minutes on January 31, 2001 when two Japan Airlines aircraft converged over Suruga Bay and the human and technical decisions that intersected beneath their wings. The narrative lays out who was in the room, what systems acted, and the moment a single spoken error changed everything - could the responses prevent disaster?Person: Controller Hideki HachitaniDate: January 31, 2001Location: Suruga Bay / Tokyo Area Control CenterEvent: Near mid-air collision involving JAL flights 907 and 958System: TCAS issued a climb Resolution Advisory to JAL 907- JAL 907 (Boeing 747, JA8904) departed Haneda with 411 passengers and 16 crew, bound for Naha.- JAL 958 (DC-10, JA8546) was inbound to Narita with 237 passengers and 13 crew, converging on the same sector.- Trainee controller Hachitani was managing twelve radar targets-ten other aircraft at the same time as the two JAL flights.- The planned vertical separation was 2,000 feet; when the incident unfolded the planes were separated by roughly 135 meters.- The aircraft’s TCAS detected the closure rate and issued a climb advisory before the controller’s spoken clearance reached the crews.To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: [email protected].
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  The broken altimeter failed to warn them before impact 08.09.2026 20min

  A broken altimeter, rain and fog, and a Learjet careening toward a runway the pilots cannot see - did they make it in time?The broken altimeter failed to warn them before impactIn this episode, the story follows the moments before the Learjet crash that killed Walter Reuther and the life that led him there. We trace the damaged instrument, the pilots’ descent through night weather, and Reuther’s rise from factory tool-and-die maker to UAW leader - what led him to be on that flight and what questions the wreckage left unanswered.Person: Walter Philip ReutherDate: May 9, 1970Event: Learjet twenty-three crashLocation: night approach to runway in rain and fogInjury: altimeter missing parts and one piece installed backward- Three parts were missing from the instrument recovered from the wreckage.- One component of the altimeter was installed completely upside down.- Pilots were descending through rain and fog toward a runway they could not see.- Walter Reuther survived a 1948 assassination attempt that shattered his arm into roughly 150 pieces.- Reuther rose from tool-and-die maker to lead the UAW and helped organize the 1936-37 sit-down strikes.To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: [email protected].
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  The handbag's ten-thousand dollars burned as the plane lost its only exit 07.09.2026 21min

  A woman carrying over ten thousand dollars on a flight to Chicago dies in a crash-did the hush-money make it out before the plane lost its only exit?The handbag's ten-thousand dollars burned as the plane lost its only exitIn this episode, we lay out who Dorothy Hunt was, where she was traveling, and the tangled Washington network connected to the cash found in her handbag. The episode follows the flight, the investigations, and the unanswered questions that kept the money's purpose a mystery.Person: Dorothy HuntEvent: United Airlines Flight 553 crashDate: December 8, 1972Location: Chicago Midlothian neighborhoodTopic: Unexplained cash linked to Watergate network- Dorothy Hunt boarded Flight 553 in Washington bound for Chicago carrying a handbag with over ten thousand dollars in cash.- She was the wife of E. Howard Hunt, a former CIA officer turned Watergate operative who worked with the White House Plumbers.- First responders found her handbag in the wreckage within hours after the plane struck houses in Chicago.- The NTSB, the FBI, and Congress all investigated the crash while separately grappling with the unexplained cash.- Members of a Washington hush-money network, including lawyers and White House aides, were moving funds to burglars and families in December 1972.To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: [email protected].
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  The twelve‑volt battery call that started a race against time 06.09.2026 21min

  A mistranslated call about a twelve-volt battery turns into an alleged bomb order - did they stop the plot before the plane left New York?The twelve‑volt battery call that started a race against timeIn this episode, we lay out how a single mistranscribed word in 1986 sent two men to life imprisonment and tied into the investigation of Air India Flight 182. We describe the meetings, the recordings, and the decisions that shaped the case - and ask what else went wrong along the way.Person: Frank Miele (alias "George")Person: Billy Joe (informant)Event: Air India Flight 182 bombing, June 23, 1985Date: May 19 and May 22, 1986Location: Bugged hotel room, Montreal- A recorded hotel-room sting in Montreal became the prosecution’s central evidence after an undercover FBI operative discussed bombing planes.- An informant named Billy Joe brokered the introduction in exchange for dropped charges for an associate.- One meeting focused on a supposedly routine hardware call about a twelve‑volt battery that was later mistranslated by government translators.- Khelsa attended the meetings over a disputed stolen Cadillac payment; Dhillon came as a protector of that money.- Years of undisclosed government material and courtroom battles followed, leaving convictions unable to withstand later judicial review.To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: [email protected].
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  The overloaded fuel tanks that kept them climbing-did they make it? 05.09.2026 21min

  Roberto Clemente boards an overloaded DC-7 cargo flight out of San Juan with relief supplies for Managua - did they make it in time?The overloaded fuel tanks that kept them climbing-did they make it?In this episode, we follow the night a DC-7 freighter departed Isla Verde for Nicaragua carrying relief supplies and a celebrity passenger determined to ensure delivery. The episode traces the decisions, the people aboard, and the mechanical and weight problems that compounded in the minutes after takeoff-could anything have been done differently?Person: Roberto ClementeDate: December 31, 1972Location: Isla Verde International Airport, San Juan, Puerto RicoEvent: DC-7 freighter N500AE took off overloaded with cargo and fuelWeight: Aircraft was 4,193 pounds over certified maximum takeoff weight- Clemente organized relief flights after the Managua earthquake and decided to accompany a cargo flight himself to prevent diversion of supplies.- The DC-7 freighter N500AE was loaded with relief goods, crewed by pilot Jerry Hill, co-pilot Arthur S. Rivera, and flight engineer Francisco Matias.- The aircraft departed at 9:20:30 PM, airborne less than three minutes before the last cockpit transmission, "Coming back around."- Investigators later found an engine had been broken for 29 days and had not been closely inspected before the flight.- To land safely after takeoff, the crew would have needed to dump roughly 32,000 pounds of fuel given the aircraft's overloaded condition.To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: [email protected].
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  The outer wing section lodged in shallows stalled the search clock 04.09.2026 19min

  A wing section juts from Botany Bay while the rest lies underwater-did search crews reach the wreckage in time?The outer wing section lodged in shallows stalled the search clockIn this episode, the story follows the disappearance of Ansett‑ANA Flight 325 on the night of 30 November 1961 and the early search that raced against time and weather. What the intact outer wing in shallow water and the pulverized main wreckage a mile away reveal about those final nine minutes becomes the central dilemma listeners must grapple with.Event: Aircraft disappearance over Sydney night of 30 November 1961Aircraft: Vickers Viscount, name John Oxley, 12,010 flights, 16,946 hoursPeople: 15 onboard - Captain Stan Lindsay, Co‑pilot Ben Costello, attendants Aileen Keldie and Elizabeth HardyLocation: Botany Bay and Kurnell Beach area, 2.8 miles southeast of Sydney AirportStatus: No flight recorders; wreckage both intact and heavily fragmented- The flight departed Sydney at 19:17 for Canberra with a routine eastward climb and a required crossing at 5,000 feet.- At 19:22 the crew reported 6,000 feet, and three minutes later controllers received no further responses.- Dawn searches initially scoured the Tasman Sea east of the airport, assuming the aircraft had stayed on its outbound track.- Searchers then found cabin debris and an outer right wing section protruding from shallow water near Kurnell with registration still legible.- The main wreckage lay 25 feet underwater and scattered across more than a mile of bay floor, presenting a stark contrast to the nearly undamaged wing.To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: [email protected].
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  The lone walker who climbed the range found them after nine days 04.09.2026 19min

  A lone walker climbs the McPherson Range searching for a missing Stinson trimotor and the two men he hopes to find-did he reach the wreck in time?The lone walker who climbed the range found them after nine daysIn this episode, we follow the routine Sydney-Brisbane flight that vanished over the McPherson Range and the slow, misdirected official search that failed to find it. The story traces the aircraft, its crew and passengers, the lack of radio, and the lone man who set out on foot-what compelled him to walk into those mountains and what he discovered there?Date: 19 February 1937Aircraft: Stinson Model A trimotor VH-UHH (Brisbane)Crew: Reginald Haslam “Rex” Boyden (pilot), Beverley Shepherd (first officer)Passengers: Joseph Binstead; John Seymour Proud; James Westray; William Walden Fountain; James Westray GrahamLocation: McPherson Range, border of Queensland and New South Wales- The Brisbane departed Archerfield after 1pm on 19 February 1937 on the inland Sydney-Brisbane route and was due at 4:30pm.- VH-UHH carried no radio; Boyden and Shepherd had only basic Morse proficiency and could not send a distress signal.- Witnesses heard the aircraft circling near Lamington and Hill View around 1:40pm before it turned toward the McPherson Range and vanished.- The Royal Australian Air Force flew four aircraft searching north along a coastal corridor while the McPherson Range was not thoroughly searched.- On the tenth day after the crash one man walked into the mountains alone, reasoning his way to where the wreckage might be despite having no official backing.To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: [email protected].
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  The non‑precision approach he chose burned ten minutes of guided descent 04.09.2026 20min

  A captain with cocaine chooses a risky approach into mountainous Durango on a foggy night-did they make it in time?The non‑precision approach he chose burned ten minutes of guided descentIn this episode, we follow the flight into Durango on January 19, 1988, and the decisions and conditions that preceded the crash. The narrative lays out who was flying, what options were offered, and the gaps investigators had to work around - so what critical choices determined the final minutes?Date: January 19, 1988Location: Durango-La Plata County Airport, ColoradoAircraft: Fairchild Metro III, N68TCPersons: Captain Stephen S. Silver; First Officer Ralph D. HarveyWeather: Ceiling 800 feet, light snow, fog- At 19:14 the Metro descended toward Durango at 3,000 fpm while the published procedure called for 900 fpm, and no one in the cockpit corrected the rate.- Air traffic offered two approaches: a precision ILS that added about ten minutes of guided vertical guidance, or a direct non‑precision approach to Runway 20; Silver chose the non‑precision.- Silver handed controls to First Officer Harvey after choosing Runway 20, removing continuous electronic vertical guidance and replacing it with altitude checks at waypoints.- No cockpit voice recorder or flight data recorder was on board, so investigators relied on radar returns, radio transcripts, wreckage distribution, and toxicology.- Toxicology showed cocaine and metabolites in Captain Silver consistent with use 12-18 hours before impact, and a woman who might explain that timing was never located or interviewed.To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: [email protected].
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  The ARTHUR unit failed and controls went light - did they reach the runway? 04.09.2026 18min

  A Dassault Falcon descends toward Bucharest with a failed ARTHUR system and unbuckled passengers-did they reach the runway in time?The ARTHUR unit failed and controls went light - did they reach the runway?In this episode, we follow the flight that landed at Bucharest while seven people inside died under unexplained forces. The episode lays out the sequence of events, the broken cockpit voice recorder, and the technical failures that turned a routine approach into a catastrophe-what exactly happened in those twenty-four seconds?Date: September 14, 1999Aircraft: Dassault FalconLocation: Bucharest airport, runway 08Event: Severe cabin forces during final approachSystem: ARTHUR control-feel unit malfunctioning prior to flight- Passengers aboard included Greece’s Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Giannos Kranidiotis and his son, ERT journalists, security, and an aircraft engineer.- During the descent the fasten-seat-belt sign was not activated and many occupants were unbuckled as the aircraft began oscillating.- In twenty-four seconds the aircraft experienced ten pitch oscillations that produced forces near twice design limits, ripping seats and panels.- The cockpit voice recorder was broken before departure, limiting investigators’ ability to know pilot communications during the event.- The flight data showed the controls became almost weightless without ARTHUR, and the unit had been malfunctioning for some time before the Bucharest approach.To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: [email protected].