Jun
20
2014

They Hyatt Regency, Kansas City Skywalk Collapse of July, 1981

by walterh

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 those in charge.

As usual, you can download the podcast at this link, find us on iTunes, or listen to it in the embedded player below.

Sources for the podcast are as follows:

The links to each of the video segments are in five parts.

Finally, here’s how the lobby looked back in 1981 (the third floor walkway is closest to the camera, with the second floor and fourth floor below and above, in the background):

And here’s how the lobby looks after the disaster; note that the overhead walkway is only one single walkway, not three, and it is supported from the ground below:

 

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Jun
06
2014

The Dawson Mining Catastrophe of 1913

by walterh

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 podcast at this link, find us on iTunes, or listen to it in the embedded player below.

Sources for the podcast are as follows:

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May
23
2014

The Eschede, Germany ICE Train Derailment

by walterh

Today’s podcast is about the German ICE (Inter-City Express) train derailment and subsequent catastrophe in the sleepy German town of Eschede that took place in June, 1998.  While this isn’t Germany’s biggest rail disaster, it’s one of the most well known in modern times, resulting in 101 people being killed and almost 90 being injured.

As usual, you can download the podcast from this link, find it on iTunes, or listen to the podcast in the embedded player below.

Sources include:

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May
05
2014

New Article on and Old Crash

by walterh

So while CNN and the rest of the world focuses on the fate of Malaysia Flight 370, we are coming up on the anniversary of one of the most notable, memorable crashes in modern time.  That crash was United Flight 232, the DC10 that crashed at Sioux City Airport on July 19, 1989.

Popular Mechanics has the new story, and it’s probably good to focus on something that we actually have concrete news about.  I’ve only briefly read through the story, since it’s still massively busy for me at work, but I’ll finish reading through soon.  Still, I thought it would be good to pass on.

Link:  http://www.popularmechanics.com/technology/aviation/crashes/the-final-flight-of-united-232-16755928??src=rss

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Jan
20
2014

Some Suggestions

by walterh

Based on the last podcast, the Hartford Circus Fire, I’ve got a couple of suggestions that I can pass on – both on the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire.

The first is the podcast from Stuff You Missed In History Class, a part of StuffYouShouldKnow.com.  They did a really good podcast on the Triangle Shirtwaist fire a couple of years back, and you can find it here.

Second, PBS did a documentary on it in video form.  You can find that here.

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Jan
17
2014

The Hartford Circus Fire of 1944

by walterh

Today’s podcast, which I published earlier in the day before I got a chance to do a blogpost about it, is about the Hartford circus fire of 1944.  This fire remains one of the largest fires in terms of casualties (between 165 and 185 killed, and about 700 injured) in the history of the United States.  It was because of this fire, and others like it, that if you go to a circus today, you rarely get to go under an actual bigtop, but instead watch the circus from a seat in an auditorium, civic center, or the like.

As usual, you can download the podcast from this link, find it on iTunes, or listen to the podcast in the embedded player below.

Sources for the podcast are as follows:

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Dec
23
2013

An Odd Finding

by walterh

So I just happened to do a Google search for “retired flight numbers” and one of the first things that came up was American Airlines Flight 1, which operates daily between JFK and LAX.  Historically, airlines will retire flight numbers after a crash.  But in this case, even though there was a crash of an American Airlines flight 1, that number hasn’t been retired.  It’s still in use today.

But what’s even more odd is the coincidence between the crash of American Airlines Flight 1 from March 1st, 1962, and the crash of American Airlines flight 587, which also departed from JFK, but was bound for the Dominican Republic.  Both flights left JFK, and both flights crashed in Queens, New York.  But even further, both flights crashed because of rudder problems.

Flight 1’s crash was because of:  “an uncommanded rudder control system input”

Flight 587’s crash was because of: “instead attributed the disaster to the first officer’s overuse of rudder controls in response to wake turbulence”

Both flights final resting place are just over 2 kilometers from each other (a little over 1 mile).

Not sure why I find this interesting, but I do!

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Dec
20
2013

Heed the warning!

by walterh

So this morning’s podcast somehow reminded me of the time an A380 wing clipped a CRJ 700 by the tail, flipping the entire plane almost a full 90 degrees.  Remember when they tell you not to take off your seatbelt until the captain turns off the light at the end of each flight?  I’m hoping the people in the CRJ heeded that advice!

Video for science.

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Dec
20
2013

The O’Hare Runway Incursion of December 20th, 1972

by walterh

Today’s podcast is on a catastrophe that’s relatively unknown in the realm of airline crashes and catastrophes, but the effects as a result of the investigation into the crash is something that we can see, and live with to this day.  As a matter of fact, you basically pay honor or tribute to all those involved in the crash of Delta Airlines flight 954 and North Central Airlines flight 575 every single time you get on an airplane!

As usual, you can download the podcast from this link, find us on iTunes at this link, or listen to the podcast in the below player.

Sources for the podcast are as follows:

And as promised, here is a diagram of Chicago O’Hare, along with crash information:

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Dec
14
2013

The Great Chinese Famine of 1958-1961

by walterh

Today’s podcast is something that is such a vast subject, that my 16 minutes barely scratches the surface.  There’s still so much to learn about what happened, and all of the events that led up to the Great Chinese Famine of 1958-1961, aka “The Great Leap Forward”.

As usual, you can download the podcast from this link, find us on iTunes at this link, or listen to the podcast in the below player.

Sources for the podcast are as follows:

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