Today’s podcast goes back to the world just after the events of September 11th, 2001, and digs into the crash of American Airlines flight 587 which happened just over two months after that fateful day. And what was thought of as terrorism, turned out to be so very, very different – but tragic nonetheless. As […]
Category Archives: Podcasts
The Link Between Minamata, Japan in the 1950s and Mosul, Iraq in the 1970s
Today’s podcast takes an international turn, and we go back in time to visit the small town of Minamata, Japan in the 1950s to see what they went through due to a chemical factory’s bad practices. And then we turn to the sprawling mecca of Mosul, Iraq in the 1970s, and how the citizens of […]
A Recap of Select 2016 Catastrophes
In this special podcast that went live last night, I talked about twelve different catastrophes that occurred during 2016. The list of twelve catastrophes included natural, man-made, and man-caused incidents that had an impact on the year that we just closed out. And while some may be considered controversial to add to the list, I felt […]
The Crash of Air New Zealand Flight 901 from November 29th, 1979
Today’s podcast goes into the incident that led to what’s been called “the loneliest air crash”, which was Air New Zealand flight 901, which crashed into Mount Erebus on Antartica back in 1979. It’s another podcast that’s been inspired, this time by my friend Ethan, who lives and works on Antarctica. As always, you can […]
A First-Hand Account of the Crash of North Central Airlines Flight 575 on December 20, 1972
One thing that we always have to remember is that there is a human face behind the catastrophes that we discuss. Today, we’re lucky enough to have a first hand account of one of these incidents, the crash of North Central Airlines flight 575 from December, 1972. This is a guest post from Todd Overgard. […]
Air Canada Flight 797 from June 2nd, 1983
Today’s podcast, like our last, is about an airline incident that caused major changes – safety related – to the airline industry as a whole, changing aviation travel to the appearance that it has for us today. Thirty years ago, airline travel was a bit more laid back, but also lacked certain safety issues that […]
Eastwind Flight 517 from June 9th, 1996, and how it changed aviation
Today’s podcast, which comes with a shoutout to Gabe for the awesome email and getting me back to work here, is about Eastwind Airlines flight 517. And while this flight may not sound familiar to many people, the simple fact is that it had profound results that reverberated throughout the aviation world. As usual, you […]
The Limnic Eruption of Lake Nyos of August, 1986
Today’s podcast touches on a more obscure natural phenomenon that occurred in Cameroon back in 1986. The limnic eruption of Lake Nyos, when submerged carbon dioxide gas was suddenly forced to the surface, is something that doesn’t happen all that often, but when it does, the results are deadly. As usual, you can download the […]
They Hyatt Regency, Kansas City Skywalk Collapse of July, 1981
Today’s podcast goes just a few years back and focuses on the skywalk collapse that happened at the Hyatt Regency, Kansas City hotel back in July, 1981. The collapse had one main reason for failure, and some circumstances that might have even prevented it, had the suggestions been met with proper acknowledgement instead of disapproval from […]
The Dawson Mining Catastrophe of 1913
Today’s podcast goes into the history of Dawson, New Mexico, and the explosions that took the lives of many miners since the mines opened in 1901. The explosion of Stag Canyon #2 in 1913 remains one of the largest loss of life during a mining operation in America’s history. As usual, you can download the […]