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Every plane crash leaves a story, but some leave a mystery: how did someone survive when no one else did? Plane Crash Stories delves into the incredible true accounts of...
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Every plane crash leaves a story, but some leave a mystery: how did someone survive when no one else did? Plane Crash Stories delves into the incredible true accounts of the sole survivors of aviation disasters. We meticulously reconstruct the events, the critical decisions, and the sheer luck or resilience that allowed one person to walk away from unimaginable devastation.
From mechanical failures to pilot errors, each episode of Plane Crash Stories explores the chilling details of these incidents, focusing on the human element amidst the chaos. We examine the 'how' and 'why' of survival, offering a unique perspective on the aftermath of these catastrophic events. This podcast is a deep dive into the psychology of survival and the extraordinary circumstances that defy the odds.
New episodes are published daily, Monday through Sunday, at 4:00 AM EST, ensuring a fresh story to captivate you every morning. Each episode is a standalone narrative, thoroughly researched to bring you compelling and accurate accounts.
This podcast is for anyone fascinated by true survival stories, aviation history, and the indomitable human spirit. If you're drawn to narratives where one person miraculously escapes the impossible, Plane Crash Stories is your next listen.
Subscribe now and uncover the untold tales of those who defied fate.
show less
From mechanical failures to pilot errors, each episode of Plane Crash Stories explores the chilling details of these incidents, focusing on the human element amidst the chaos. We examine the 'how' and 'why' of survival, offering a unique perspective on the aftermath of these catastrophic events. This podcast is a deep dive into the psychology of survival and the extraordinary circumstances that defy the odds.
New episodes are published daily, Monday through Sunday, at 4:00 AM EST, ensuring a fresh story to captivate you every morning. Each episode is a standalone narrative, thoroughly researched to bring you compelling and accurate accounts.
This podcast is for anyone fascinated by true survival stories, aviation history, and the indomitable human spirit. If you're drawn to narratives where one person miraculously escapes the impossible, Plane Crash Stories is your next listen.
Subscribe now and uncover the untold tales of those who defied fate.
Episodes & Posts
Episodes
Posts
5 OCT 2026 · A British airliner pauses on a Munich runway as the port engine gauge wavers during takeoff-did the crew fix the engine problem in time?
The port engine gauge wavered and cost the team their takeoff time
In this episode, we follow the minutes and decisions around a February 6, 1958 Munich refuelling stop that preceded a catastrophic takeoff attempt. The episode lays out who was on board, the technical quirk that first caused the crew to abort, and the choices made before the final roll-did those choices buy safety or sacrifice time?
Date: February 6, 1958
Aircraft: Airspeed Ambassador G-ALZU
Passengers: 38 plus 6 crew
Event: Munich technical stop and multiple aborted takeoffs
- The aircraft reached 117 knots on the runway but needed 119 knots to fly, then began to slow.
- This was the third takeoff attempt that afternoon after two earlier aborted runs; snow began to fall between attempts.
- A fluctuation on the port engine pressure gauge during the first roll prompted Captain Rayment to pull back the throttles and taxi back.
- Engineers found no definitive fault and linked the fluctuation to the Elizabethan's Centaurus engines over-accelerating on rich mixture.
- Captain Thain proposed advancing the throttles more slowly on the next attempt rather than grounding the aircraft. 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: business@obomedia.com.
4 OCT 2026 · A burned DC-4 lies in a Newfoundland bog at dawn; rescuers improvise a seaplane rescue - did they make it in time?
The wooden planks dropped onto the peat formed a raft that carried survivors out
In this episode, we follow the moments after a Douglas DC-4 struck treetops near Gander, Newfoundland on 18 September 1946. The narrative covers the crash, the difficult terrain of boreal peat, and the improvised decisions rescuers made-could those choices save the survivors?
Date: 18 September 1946
Aircraft: Douglas DC-4, registration OO-CBG
People aboard: 43 (37 passengers, 6 crew)
Survivors initially: 17
Fatalities at scene: 27
- The flight was the ninth test run of Sabena’s new transatlantic service, aimed at proving the route and aircraft for future commercial service.
- Clouds were sitting at ground level over Gander; the crew descended into invisible treetops and the aircraft struck the forest at 02:42.
- The crash scattered passengers into branches and burning fuselage sections across dense spruce growing on waterlogged peat with no roads or trails.
- Gander tower lost radio contact; a USCG PBY Catalina and a TWA approach plane located the fire but could not reach the site by conventional means.
- Rescuers improvised: seaplanes dropped wooden planks onto the peat and used machines not previously used for civilian rescues to access the wreck. 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: business@obomedia.com.
3 OCT 2026 · A Turkish prime minister’s Vickers Viscount vanishes from radar three miles out during a routine instrument approach - did they make it in time?
The three miles of final approach that swallowed their last two minutes
In this episode, we reconstruct the flight and descent that ended in a crash two minutes after radar disappearance, tracing the passengers, crew, route changes and the fog that closed Heathrow. We follow the choices and procedures that guided the aircraft into those final three miles and ask what on that approach remained unexplained.
Date: 17 February 1959
Person: Adnan Menderes
Aircraft: Vickers Viscount TC‑SEV (Type 793)
Location: Three miles short of Gatwick runway, Surrey wood
Status: Official verdict - cause undetermined
- The flight left Rome Ciampino at 13:13 for London carrying Prime Minister Adnan Menderes and a 24‑person delegation on a high‑stakes diplomatic mission.
- Heathrow closed in dense fog; controllers redirected TC‑SEV to Gatwick and cleared a standard instrument approach toward runway 08R.
- The nearly new Viscount, with 548 hours total time and four Rolls‑Royce Dart engines, descended from holding at Mayfield following issued altitudes and headings.
- Cockpit crew included Captain Münir Özbek and two co‑pilots; the delegation included cabinet ministers, the national news agency director and Turkish Airlines’ director general.
- At 16:42 the aircraft disappeared from radar three miles out, and two minutes later wreckage was found upside down in a Surrey wood amid unreported local fog. 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: business@obomedia.com.
2 OCT 2026 · A sightseeing DC-10 over Antarctica had its flight plan silently changed overnight - did the crew make it in time?
The midnight coordinate change shifted their course - did they escape?
In this episode, we follow the flight from Auckland to Antarctica, the crew's preparations, and the single, uncommunicated coordinate change that altered the aircraft's route hours before takeoff. We trace the mechanics of the navigation, the human decisions in the cockpit, and the environmental conditions that conspired to hide a looming mountain - how did one small edit create such catastrophic risk?
Person: Captain Thomas James Collins
Aircraft: McDonnell Douglas DC-10 ZK-NZP
Passengers: 257
Event: Antarctic sightseeing flight, November 28, 1979
Phenomenon: sector whiteout conditions
- A coordinate in Air New Zealand's central computer was changed around 1:40 a.m., shifting the route 27 nautical miles east without alerting the crew.
- The printed flight plan given to the pilots reflected the new coordinates while Captain Collins's personal map notes used briefing materials from November 9 with the old coordinates.
- The DC-10, with over 20,700 flight hours and an experienced three-person crew, departed Auckland at 8:00 a.m. on a routinized Antarctic sightseeing service.
- As the aircraft descended at 12:39 p.m., passengers and crew crossed from clear skies into a cloud layer whose light fused cloud and snow into a featureless white.
- Flight engineer Gordon Brooks announced the start of sea ice visibility and onboard guide Peter Mulgrew began describing the landscape just before the crew encountered the visual conditions that hid the mountain. 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: business@obomedia.com.
1 OCT 2026 · A Bristol Britannia descends toward Ljubljana on a clear night with two pressure settings in the cockpit - did a 43 millibar error doom the approach?
Millibar: How a Tiny Pressure Error Killed 98 at Ljubljana
In this episode we follow the final minutes of Britannia Airways Flight 105 as it approaches Ljubljana on 1 September 1966. The episode lays out the cockpit pressures, the approach path and the decisions that determined altitude - and asks whether the crew recognized the mismatch in time.
Date: 1 September 1966
Aircraft: Bristol 175 Britannia G-ANBB
Location: Ljubljana Runway 31 approach / Nasovče forest
Difference: 43 millibar (≈1,100 feet)
Survivors: 19; Fatalities: 98
- Departure from Luton at 21:10 GMT with 110 passengers aboard a Britannia with 18,444 flight hours and 5,380 landings.
- Air traffic control transmitted QNH 1001 and QFE 968 millibars; captain's and first officer's altimeter subscales differed.
- Crew were required by Britannia Airways procedure to cross-check altimeter subscales before approach; that check was not completed.
- The approach cleared to Runway 31 crossed dark Nasovče forest two nautical miles short of the runway on rising terrain with calm winds and 12 nm visibility.
- The Ljubljana controller left the radar console to switch on approach lights while the aircraft drifted right of the extended centerline unseen. 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: business@obomedia.com.
30 SEP 2026 · A flight bound for Moroni circles at night over a black Indian Ocean as the altitude selector is set to zero feet - did they make it in time?
The altitude selector set to zero feet - did they make it in time?
In this episode, we follow the final hours of Yemenia Flight 626 and the sequence of decisions, warnings, and operational details that led up to the critical night approach into Moroni. Who made the choices in the cockpit and on the ground, and what gaps in training and maintenance set the stage for the emergency question everyone would later ask?
Flight: Yemenia Flight 626
Date: Night of 29-30 June 2009
Aircraft: Airbus A310-324, registration 7O-ADJ
People: 142 passengers, 11 crew (153 total)
Location: Approach to Prince Said Ibrahim International Airport, Moroni
- Departure delayed ~24 minutes due to an auxiliary power unit fault before the long leg south to Comoros.
- Aircraft banned from French airspace after a 2007 DGAC inspection for serious deficiencies but continued flying other routes.
- Captain Khaled Hajeb (44) and First Officer Ali Atef (50) had extensive A310 hours, yet Hajeb lacked the airline’s required Category C approach training for Moroni.
- Twenty-five nautical miles out a wind shift forced a runway change requiring a dark, low-altitude circling approach with approach lights off and no moon.
- Flight data shows the altitude selector rotary knob was set to zero feet during the final approach, a single input embedded in a wider chain of errors. 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: business@obomedia.com.
29 SEP 2026 · A routine "Cleared for the approach" sends a Boeing 727 toward Mount Weather-did they make it in time?
The phrase "Cleared for the approach" let them descend into the mountain
In this episode, we lay out the flight, the crew, the weather, and the procedural handoffs that framed a descent into terrain on a published instrument approach. What gap inside a familiar phrase and the system’s silence preceded the final minutes?
Date: December 1, 1974
Flight: TWA Flight 514
Location: Mount Weather, Virginia (approach to Washington Dulles)
Aircraft: Boeing 727 (in service since March 3, 1970; 11,997 hours)
People: Captain Richard I. Brock; First Officer Lenard W. Kreshec; Flight Engineer Thomas C. Safranek
- The crew were seasoned professionals with thousands of hours and specific experience on the 727.
- Dulles was accepted as the diversion airport after severe crosswinds at National; the approach chart for Runway 12 was published and on the flight deck.
- Controllers issued the routine clearance: "Cleared for the approach," a four-word handoff heard as descent permission by the crew.
- The approach procedure used step-down minimum safe altitudes tied to crossing named fixes; terrain rose beneath the inbound path.
- Six weeks earlier, another airline crew nearly impacted the same mountainside on the same approach, but that near-miss was never reported to the system. 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: business@obomedia.com.
Transcribed
28 SEP 2026 · An A320 fights to stop on a short, ungrooved São Paulo runway in a downpour as the city looms; did they make it in time?
The ungrooved runway sent the A320 hydroplaning - did they stop in time?
In this episode, listeners follow the minutes and decisions leading up to an Airbus A320 touchdown on a wet Congonhas runway with one thrust reverser deactivated and the city immediately beyond. The episode traces the airport's resurfacing choices, crew experience, and prior warnings - and asks whether enough was done to prevent catastrophe.
Date: July 17, 2007
Location: Congonhas Airport, São Paulo
Aircraft: Airbus A320-233, registration PR-MBK
Crew: Captains Henrique Stefanini Di Sacco and Kleyber Aguiar Lima
Runway status: Resurfaced June 29, grooves not cut; wet conditions reported the day before
- Runway 35L measured 1,940 meters with no runway-end safety area and a four-story warehouse and gas station beyond the far end.
- Resurfacing finished June 29 but the standard transverse grooves to channel water were not cut; Infraero said 30 more days were needed.
- Pilots had reported poor braking on July 16; one TAM stopped meters from the end and a Pantanal ATR hydroplaned and was written off.
- The A320 had one thrust reverser deactivated per a maintenance note but was released for flight and departed Porto Alegre at 17:17 BRT.
- The approach began at 18:48 BRT into wet conditions with 26 seconds between threshold crossing and the point the pilots would need to stop. 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: business@obomedia.com.
Transcribed
27 SEP 2026 · A Tupolev touches down at Vnukovo and one right main strut sends no compression signal-did the silent strut stop the reversers in time?
The silent right strut stopped the reversers - did they stop in time?
In this episode, we follow a repositioning Tupolev Tu-204 landing at Vnukovo where a single missing strut signal triggered a cascade of system failures across thirty-two seconds after touchdown. The episode traces the crew, the aircraft, the weather, and the chain of maintenance and reporting that connect this crash to an earlier near-identical event-what does that chain mean for the people on board?
Date: December 29, 2012
Location: Vnukovo Airport, Runway 19
Aircraft: Tupolev Tu-204-100B, registration RA-64047
Crew: 8 (3 cockpit, 5 cabin), Captain Gennady D. Shmelev, First Officer Evgeny I. Astashenkov, Flight Engineer Igor N. Fisenko
Weather: Snow with crosswind gusts up to 29 knots (11.5 m/s)
- Touchdown occurred between 900 and 1,000 meters past threshold at 260 km/h, within published limits.
- At the moment of main gear contact only the left main strut registered compression; the right strut sent no signal.
- Tu-204 reverser interlock requires simultaneous compression signals from both main struts to deploy.
- With no right-strut signal the reversers stayed locked and throttle advanced, producing forward thrust during rollout.
- Investigators compared flight data recorder seconds to a near-identical event nine days earlier linked by a maintenance directive and manufacturer notification. 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: business@obomedia.com.
Transcribed
26 SEP 2026 · A four-year-old clung to a flipped seat on Middlebelt Road - did the retracted slats cost them their seconds?
The slats stayed retracted and stole their climb seconds
In this episode, we follow the minutes from gate to impact as crew, maintenance, and air traffic interactions set the stage for catastrophe. The narrative traces every procedural choice and mechanical state that mattered - could a chain of routine decisions explain how a jet failed to climb?
Flight: Northwest Airlines Flight 255
Date: August 16, 1987
Location: Detroit Metropolitan Airport / Middlebelt Road
Aircraft: McDonnell Douglas MD-82, N312RC
Survivor: Cecelia Cichan, four years old
- Captain John R. Maus (57) and First Officer David J. Dodds (35) had extensive experience and logged thousands of flight hours.
- The crew began with planned takeoff from Runway 21L/21R but were reassigned to shorter Runway 3C; Dodds recalculated performance and reprogrammed the computer.
- At 20:44:21 the throttles advanced; the MD-82 rotated at 170 knots but climbed fewer than fifty feet before lateral roll and deteriorating climb rate.
- Inspectors found no maintenance flags earlier that day; a Northwest mechanic had checked the aircraft and its log in Detroit with nothing noted.
- Witnesses and investigators observed the aircraft’s flaps and slats were retracted during takeoff, leaving the wings without the low-speed lift devices needed to climb. 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: business@obomedia.com.
Every plane crash leaves a story, but some leave a mystery: how did someone survive when no one else did? Plane Crash Stories delves into the incredible true accounts of...
show more
Every plane crash leaves a story, but some leave a mystery: how did someone survive when no one else did? Plane Crash Stories delves into the incredible true accounts of the sole survivors of aviation disasters. We meticulously reconstruct the events, the critical decisions, and the sheer luck or resilience that allowed one person to walk away from unimaginable devastation.
From mechanical failures to pilot errors, each episode of Plane Crash Stories explores the chilling details of these incidents, focusing on the human element amidst the chaos. We examine the 'how' and 'why' of survival, offering a unique perspective on the aftermath of these catastrophic events. This podcast is a deep dive into the psychology of survival and the extraordinary circumstances that defy the odds.
New episodes are published daily, Monday through Sunday, at 4:00 AM EST, ensuring a fresh story to captivate you every morning. Each episode is a standalone narrative, thoroughly researched to bring you compelling and accurate accounts.
This podcast is for anyone fascinated by true survival stories, aviation history, and the indomitable human spirit. If you're drawn to narratives where one person miraculously escapes the impossible, Plane Crash Stories is your next listen.
Subscribe now and uncover the untold tales of those who defied fate.
show less
From mechanical failures to pilot errors, each episode of Plane Crash Stories explores the chilling details of these incidents, focusing on the human element amidst the chaos. We examine the 'how' and 'why' of survival, offering a unique perspective on the aftermath of these catastrophic events. This podcast is a deep dive into the psychology of survival and the extraordinary circumstances that defy the odds.
New episodes are published daily, Monday through Sunday, at 4:00 AM EST, ensuring a fresh story to captivate you every morning. Each episode is a standalone narrative, thoroughly researched to bring you compelling and accurate accounts.
This podcast is for anyone fascinated by true survival stories, aviation history, and the indomitable human spirit. If you're drawn to narratives where one person miraculously escapes the impossible, Plane Crash Stories is your next listen.
Subscribe now and uncover the untold tales of those who defied fate.
Information
| Author | OBOMEDIA ENTERTAINMENT |
| Organization | OBOMEDIA ENTERTAINMENT |
| Categories | History , Aviation , Documentary |
| Website | - |
| creators@obomedia.com |
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