Take to the Sky: the Air Disaster Podcast

On May 25, 1979, a routine flight from Chicago to Los Angeles made its way into the history books as the deadliest aviation disaster in US history at the time. In week's episode of Take to the Sky: the Air Disaster Podcast, Stephanie takes us on American Airline's Flight 191's surprising, frustrating, and sorrowful journey to understand what went wrong and how safe travel today is a reflection of the many lessons we learned. Don't miss a single legacy: join our Patreon for exclusive air disaster stories, layover episodes, and surprises! Visit our website at taketotheskypodcast.com for show notes and our merch store!

In the early morning hours of August 27, 2006, Comair Flight 5191 crashes at the end of a runway at Lexington’s Bluegrass Airport. The investigation soon reveals the shocking reason why and what this plane crash can teach us about the complexities – and dangers – of confirmation bias. Join us for this episode of Take to the Sky: The Air Disaster Podcast! Don't miss a single legacy: join our Patreon for exclusive air disaster stories, layover episodes, and surprises! Visit our website at taketotheskypodcast.com for show notes and our merch store!

Ice on the wings of a plane can be catastrophic, but a little ice on the windshield on a winter New England day isn't out of the ordinary. In 1982, that challenge set a frightening chain of events into motion for Pilgrim Airline Flight 458, which challenged the crew and the passengers to do everything they could to save the plane. It's a story about unlikely heroes, terrifying obstacles, and the will to live- and it's a story you won't want to miss!

In 1961, Dag Hammarskjöld, the second-ever UN Secretary General, died in a plane crash. Immediate findings point to pilot error, but over the next 50 years, clues begin to surface that point to more sinister intentions. Join Shelly as she shares the incredible, real-life mystery of what brought down the plane that killed one of the most important men in the world.

On July 17, 2007, it took less than 10 seconds for an Airbus A320 landing at São Paulo's Congonhas Airport to switch from a typical landing to Brazil's deadliest plane crash. In this week's episode of Take to the Sky: the Air Disaster Podcast, Stephanie guides us through the decisions and mistakes that set TAM Flight 3054 on a path to tragedy before its wheels ever touched the runway.

On July 26, 1959, Marine Lt. Col. William Henry Rankin finds himself in an impossible situation 47,000 feet in air over the coast of North Carolina. After his single engine F8 Crusader fails, Lt. Col. William Henry Rankin decides to bravely eject from the aircraft – but the odds of surviving this kind of fall are extremely thin. Join Shelly in this episode of Take to the Sky: The Air Disaster Podcast as she shares this amazing story of human resilience – and what it teaches us about the strength we must all find to survive no matter what it takes.

Accident investigations are almost synonymous with the National Transportation Safety Board, or the NTSB. Recognized around the world as the gold standard in investigations, the NTSB's diligence and authority have contributed to findings, probable causes, and recommendations that have improved flight safety for all of us. But what happens if an NTSB investigation doesn't go far enough- or if it misses key information that alter a crash's true legacy? In this layover episode of Take to the Sky: the Air Disaster Podcast, Shelly and Stephanie discuss the documentary Invisible Sky, the story of pilot Georgina Joshi, and the lingering questions her legacy still asks to this day.

Many professionals have behind-the-scenes jobs to do that help keep a plane flying safely, from maintenance personnel all the way to the flight crew. But what happens if someone does not do their job in the right way, setting off a sequence of events that end in disaster? In this episode of Take to the Sky: The Air Disaster Podcast, Shelly shares the story of Alaska Airlines Flight 261, an air disaster that reminded everyone of what happens when profit is prioritized over safety.