Shows
CatastropheCast.comPodcast #38 - Suicide by AirplaneIn this month's podcast we look at five different incidents that, together, can be known as "Suicide by Airplane". We look at LAM Mozambique Flight 470, Germanwings Flight 9525, PSA Flight 1771, FedEx Flight 705, and The Theft of Horizon Air plane N499QX.
2026-01-1840 min
CatastropheCast.comPodcast #38 - The Downing of the I35West Bridge in Minneapolis in 2007In the 38th podcast from CatastropheCast.com, we discuss the downing of the I35West bridge in Minneapolis in August 2007. The collapse of the I35W bridge took out one of the most popular bridges in Minnesota, and brought nationwide attention to the poor state of our bridges and roads in the United States.
2025-12-2521 min
CatastropheCast.comPodcast #37, The Crashes of the de Havilland Comets in the 1950sIn the 37th podcast from CatastropheCast.com, we delve into the troubled history of the de Havilland Comet, and how the lessons learned from those crashes led to safer airplanes today, led to a better understanding of metal fatigue, and unwittingly gave rise to de Havilland's competitor, Boeing, taking the lead in jet airliners.
2020-07-1829 min
CatastropheCast.comPodcast #36, The Spanish Flu of 1918In the 36th podcast from CatastropheCast.com, we delve into the last time the world was under the grips of a disease on a massive scale - the Spanish Flu of 1918. In this podcast, we talk about the potential origins, why it's called The Spanish Flu when there was no origin of the virus in Spain, and how one city avoided the second wave of the flu, only to be taken down the the third wave.
2020-05-1537 min
CatastropheCast.comPodcast #35, The 3/11 Earthquake, Tsunami, and Nuclear Catastrophes of Tohoku, JapanIn the 35th podcast from CatastropheCast.com, we delve into the most powerful earthquake to rock Japan that has ever been recorded, and the ensuing tsunami and nuclear disaster. Also, I interview Professor Daniel Aldrich who has written a book about survival when it comes to Japan's 3/11 Catastrophes, and the surprising (to me, at least) rates of survival and how people who were more socially connected were better prepared for not just the event, but for survival afterward.
2019-08-2456 min
CatastropheCast.comPodcast #34, The Crash of Japan Airlines Flight 123 on August 12th, 1985In the 34th podcast from CatastropheCast.com, we look at the worst single-aircraft accident loss of life in aviation history, and the bungled rescue operation that was so bad it cost people their lives.
2019-08-1631 min
CatastropheCast.comPodcast #33, The Crash of PSA Flight 182 on September 25th, 1978In the 33rd podcast from CatastropheCast.com, we look at the mid-air collision of a Boeing 727-200 and a Cessna, how some symptoms of the crash linger on in aviation even today, and what changes came about because of the crash, making aviation that much safer.
2019-07-0527 min
CatastropheCast.comPodcast #32, A Look At Uncontained Engine FailuresIn the 32nd podcast from CatastropheCast.com, we look at two very different incidents of uncontained engine failures, and how airline travel has gotten safer between the first incident in 1989 and the second incident in 2018.
2019-05-1831 min
CatastropheCast.comPodcast #31, The Crash of Helios Airways Flight 522In the 31st podcast from CatastropheCast.com, we go back to 2005 and delve into the series of events that caused the crash of Helios Airlines flight #522 outside of Athens, Greece, and what has happened since to help this terrible catastrophe from ever happening again.
2019-04-1233 min
CatastropheCast.comPodcast #30, The Halifax Explosion of 1917In the 30th podcast from CatastropheCast.com, we go back in time more than 100 years and discuss the incident that destroyed the city of Halifax while World War I was raging on the other side of the planet, how hard it was to survive, and the heroes that came out of it. And we also touch on two recent Boeing 737MAX crashes, in the hopes of coming to a successful conclusion soon, to make flying safe once again.
2019-03-1530 min
CatastropheCast.comPodcast #29, The Dupont Plaza Hotel Fire of 1986 and the Humberto Vidal Building explosion of 1996In the 29th podcast from CatastropheCast.com, we go into two different incidents that happened ten years and ten miles from each other in San Juan Puerto Rico. The hotel fire has always intrigued me, and the building explosion was a listener request. And remember, Puerto Rico isn't a foreign country, but is rather a territory of the United States. And hopefully, in the near future, the 51st or 52nd state, along with Washington, DC.
2019-02-0838 min
CatastropheCast.comThe Crash of Eastern Airlines Flight 401The 28th podcast from CatastropheCast.com, focusing on the crash of Eastern Airlines flight 401 into the Florida Everglades on December 29th, 1972, and what came about because of the crash and how it changed aviation forever.
2019-01-1827 min
CatastropheCast.comPodcast #27 - A Recap of 2018In this podcast, we go through a recap of some incidents, accidents, and catastrophes that happened in 2018, including a couple that were close to home for me.
2018-12-2736 minCatastropheCast.comPodcast #26, The Crash of American Airlines Flight 587The 26th podcast from CatastropheCast.com, focusing on the fate of American Airlines flight 587 on November 12th, 2001
2017-02-2422 minCatastropheCast.comPodcast #25, A Link Between Minamata, Japan and Mosul, IraqThe 25th podcast from CatastropheCast.com, focusing on the link between the small town of Minamata Japan from the 1950s, and the sprawling mecca of Mosul, Iraq from the 1970s
2017-01-2828 minCatastropheCast.comPodcast #24, A Recap of 2016The 24th podcast from CatastropheCast that goes over different catastrophes that occurred during 2016, from well known items like Egypt Air flight 804, to lesser known issues like the Tampoco Foils factory explosion in Bangladesh.
2017-01-0226 min
CatastropheCast.comPodcast #23, The Crash of Air New Zealand Flight 901 of November 29th, 1979The 23rd podcast from CatastropheCast focusing on the tragic events of November 29th, 1979 when Air New Zealand flight 901 crashed into Mt. Erebus on Antarctica and became known as "The loneliest airline crash"
2016-03-1826 minCatastropheCast.comPodcast 22, The Texas City Catastrophe of 1947The 22nd podcast from CatastropheCast.com, focusing on the details of the horrendous explosion of a ship in the Texas City harbor in April, 1947
2016-02-1322 minCatastropheCast.comPodcast 21, Air Canada Flight 797The 21st podcast from CatastrpheCast.com, focusing on Air Canada Flight 797 from June 2nd, 1983 that brought massive safety changes for all airline passengers since.
2016-01-1625 minCatastropheCast.comPodcast 20, Eastwind Airlnes Flight 517Today’s podcast is about Eastwind Airlines Flight 517. And while you may have never heard of it, the incident that happened in July, 1996, solved a decade long mystery, and has prevented untold deaths from a deadly defect in the world’s most popular airplane, the Boeing 737.
2015-04-2517 minCatastropheCast.comPodcast 18, The Kansas City Hyatt Regency Skywalk CollapseThe 18th podcast from CatastropheCast.com, focusing on the Hyatt Regency Kansas city Skywalk collapse of July, 1981.
2014-07-0621 minCatastropheCast.comPodcast 19, The Limnic Eruption of Lake Nyos, CameroonToday’s podcast takes a weird turn at the way our Earth works, and how gas can be captured underwater, releasing in a catastrophic event that can be deadly. We focus on one specific historical event, the limnic eruption of Lake Nyos, Cameroon, on August 21st, 1986, and look at what could be in store in […]
2014-07-0516 minCatastropheCast.comPodcast 17, The Dawson Mining Catastrophe of 1913The 17th podcast from CatastropheCast.com, focusing on the Dawson Mining Disaster of 1913 and the final history of Dawson, New Mexico.
2014-07-0114 minCatastropheCast.comPodcast 16, the Derailment of ICE Train #884 at EschedeToday’s podcast delves into the high speed ICE train derailment of train service #884 of June 3rd, 1998, which is one of the largest catastrophes in Germany in terms of sheer disaster as well as loss of life.
2014-05-2428 minCatastropheCast.comPodcast 15, The Hartford Circus Fire of 1944The 15th podcast from CatastropheCast.com, focusing on the Hartford Circus Fire of 1944, still one of the deadliest fires in the history of the United States
2014-01-1818 minCatastropheCast.comPodcast #14, The O'Hare Runway Incursion of December 20th, 1972In this podcast we talk about the runway incursion of Delta Airlines Flight 954 and North Central Airlines flight 975 on December 20th, 1972, and the lasting legacy it has on aviation to this day.
2013-12-2117 minCatastropheCast.comPodcast #13, The Great Chinese FamineThe 13th podcast from CatastropheCast.com, focusing on the Great Chinese Famine of 1958-1961 which took the lives of 36 million people, and prevented 40 million more from ever being born.
2013-12-1616 minCatastropheCast.comPodcast #12, The Crash of National Airlines Flight 83 and Philadelphia's Forgotten HeroIn this podcast, we cover Philadelphia’s Forgotten Hero, Frankie Housley, and her actions as the result of the crash of National Airlines Flight 83 at Philadelphia Airport.
2013-10-1915 minCatastropheCast.comPodcast #11, The UpStairs Lounge FireIn this podcast, we talk about the 1973 arson attack on The UpStairs Lounge, which at the time was the biggest arson attack in New Orleans history, and is the biggest attack on LGBT people in our Nation’s history.
2013-08-1117 minCatastropheCast.comPodcast #10, The Catastrophe At Los Alfaques Resort in SpainToday we do our first listener-suggested podcast, which delves into the deadly accident that devestated the Los Alfaques beach community in Spain back in 1978, leaving hundreds of vacationers from around Europe dead or injured.
2013-03-1328 minCatastropheCast.comPodcast #9, The Crash of UPS Flight 006Today we talk about the crash of UPS Flight 006 from September, 2010, and the effect that it has on air travel even today.
2013-01-1923 minCatastropheCast.comPodcast #8, The Crash of Alaska Airlines Flight 261On January 31st, 2000, Alaska Airlines flight #261 crashed into the Pacific ocean, taking 88 lives, in one of the most preventable crashes of recent memory.
2012-12-1627 minCatastropheCast.comPodcast #7, The Hijacking of Etheopian Airlines Flight 961On November 23rd, 1996, three men took over Etheopian Airlines flight #961. The resulting flight, fuel starvation, and eventual crash into the shallow waters off of the island of Grand Camoro, was caught on videotape, and until five years later, was probably one of the most publicized hijackings in modern history.
2012-10-1327 minCatastropheCast.comPodcast #6, The 1964 Good Friday EarthquakeOn Good Friday 1964, Alaska was struck with the second most powerful earthquake in recorded history. Learn about the earthquake, and listen to a personal anecdote about it.
2012-09-2927 minCatastropheCast.comPodcast #5, The Crash at TenerifeThe crash of two Boeing 747s in 1979 on the island of Los Rodeos in the Canary Islands is the deadliest airline disaster to date. We go into the eight interconnected pieces that led to the airline crash.
2012-08-0432 minCatastropheCast.comPodcast #3, The Bhopal DisasterToday’s podcast talks about the Bhopal disaster of 1984, and the chilling effects it still has today.
2012-06-2323 minCatastropheCast.comPodcast #4, The Boston Molasses Disaster of 1919In this podcast, we go into the history of the Boston Molasses Disaster of 1919, it’s victims, and it’s aftermath. Special note: I mistakingly wrote “1915” in my notes as to when the disaster occurred, but it’s really 1919. My apologies; whenever I refer to 1915 in the podcast, it should really be 1919.
2012-06-1420 minCatastropheCast.comPodcast #2, The Crash of AA191Our first podcast goes into the details surrounding the crash of American Airlines flight 191 on May 25th, 1979.
2012-05-2622 minCatastropheCast.comCatastropheCast Podcast #1 – IntroductionsGreetings, and welcome to CatastropheCast.com I've always been interested in catastrophes, both manmade and nature. So if it's an airline disaster or an earthquake, I've been fascinated by it. Not to be too morbid about it, but the subjects have enthralled me my entire life. So I decided to put together a podcast focusing on […]
2012-05-0606 min