Episodes

Nov 28

Send us a text It was Saturday morning, February 20, 1943. The morning fog lay thick over the prairie of northern Texas and the rolling hills of southeastern Oklahoma, clinging to the fields and tree lines like a wet gray blanket. The sun had not yet burned through the mist, and visibility in a few places was little more than a few hundred feet. At this time of year, locals in the area—farmers, mostly—were used to crisp, clear mornings or the bluster of a winter wind. But this morning was different – the fog felt like it would take a while to burn off, if it ever did. Above that fog, somewhere in the pale early morning light, 12 small aircraft, each with a student pilot and student navigator, were flying a training mission. The young pilots, students who were early in their flight training, were searching for a break in the blanketing mist. These pilots weren’t from Oklahoma or neighboring Texas. They weren’t even American. They were young British airmen—cadets of the Royal Air Force – training thousands of miles from home. Somewhere up there, in the limited visibility, the group of twelve airplanes got separated. There was a group of three , and then that group of three became a group of two . But soon, each of those three planes found themselves alone in the fog, each desperately looking for a way out: looking for a patch of blue sky or, perhaps, a hole in the fog so that maybe they could take a chance at an emergency landing – somewhere; anywhere. Two of the twelve planes crashed in the fog that day. Four RAF cadets, a pilot and navigator in each plane, perished in the Oklahoma mountains. This is the story of those British pilot cadets who crashed on February 20, 1943, and a training program that brought a small piece of London, England, to a small Texas town named Terrell. In addition to the burial of the four British cadets, it also brought a memorial that was erected nearly 60 years later, by students of a different kind: Elementary school students who learned of the nearby airplane crashes in their reading class at school.

Sep 24

Send us a text On Saturday, December 28, 1946, a Lockheed Constellation airliner, known as the Cairo Skychief , was beginning the landing sequence at Shannon Airport on the western coast of Ireland. It was 2 o’clock in the morning so, naturally, it was dark. But it was also quite cloudy with low ceilings, fog and light rain – the visibility of the crew was restricted quite a bit. But this crew was experienced and the airport, despite being relatively new, was well known amongst international aircrews, as it was – and is – used regularly for both westbound and eastbound Transatlantic air traffic. Its location puts it in line with most direct flights to and from Canada and the United States. Yet oddly, as the crew was given clearance to land by the Shannon control tower and the plane turned toward the runway, the lights of the airport went dark. As the pilot struggled to compute this unprecedented turn of events, the left wingtip struck the ground. The aircraft then quickly crashed and caught fire. Like so many other aircraft accidents that are featured here on Radar Contact Lost , the weather at the time of the crash played a key role, yet it was not the sole cause – or even the primary cause of the crash. It would take months for investigators to understand what happened, but when the accident report was completed and made public, and the primary cause of the crash was revealed, it became clear that there was something much more significant than the weather that caused this crash. Of all the aviation accidents we’ve looked at on this podcast, we’ve never had a primary cause of an aviation accident like this one.

Aug 7

Send us a text It was the early morning hours of Wednesday, August 14, 2013, when a United Parcel Service cargo jet slammed into the ground about one mile short of the runway at the Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport, in Birmingham, Alabama, located in the southeastern United States. Even though the plane was more than a mile from the airport, the crash occurred on undeveloped airport property – the plane did not crash into a neighborhood or a business district, or land on a highway; the pilot and co-pilot were killed, but there were no other fatalities or injuries related to this crash. Though the low clouds in the area certainly contributed to this crash by visually obscuring the airport from the crew, there were plenty of other things that added to a list of crash-contributors, including several mistakes made by the captain and the first officer, as well as the dispatcher for United Parcel Service. Take the weather out of the equation, and all the other errors that brought down this Airbus were the result of mistakes made by aviation professionals. Like so many other aircraft accidents that are featured here on Radar Contact Lost , this was a needless and avoidable crash. The sequence of events that led to this crash began before the plane ever took-off.

Jun 7

Send us a text The plane at the center of this episode of Radar Contact Lost was in a bad way: One engine was on fire – there were three others, but the plane was struggling to maintain altitude. In addition to the engine fire, it was experiencing turbulence and severe icing, it was crossing the mountains at night, and in the middle of winter storm. As if that wasn’t enough, the plane was also lost. It appears the crew didn’t realize they were lost, but they were well off-course, just the same. This alarming situation was taking place over western Canada in a 4-engine propeller airliner in the middle 1950s. The plane had no empty seats. The passengers were likely unaware of the dire situation, though many had likely seen the engine fire and were aware that one engine was not working. In this episode, we’ll talk about the plane and the mountain that the plane crashed into. We'll also talk about the memorial to the victims of Trans Canada Flight 810-9 and what it was like to be a passenger on a commercial airliner in the 1950s. I'll also share the meaning behind a weather term that I’ve noticed a lot of television weather forecasters use – and that they use it many times without an explanation – or at least without much of an explanation. The term is, “the atmosphere is capped,” or “the atmosphere is uncapped.” I’ll explain what a capped or uncapped atmosphere is all about.

Apr 8

Send us a text It was a little after 4 o’clock in the afternoon, on Friday, July 9th, 1982, when Pan Am Flight 759, a B-727 carrying 138 passengers and 7 crew members, began to climb from the runway at New Orleans International Airport. In only a moment’s time, the narrow-body airliner slammed back down to the ground, after just barely becoming airborne. It was stormy around the airport, but there were no advisories, watches, warnings or aviation warnings in effect. It was noted by the plane's own weather radar that rain showers ( not thunderstorms) were located near the departure end of the runway. Given the weather conditions and the crew's flight manual, there were no avoidance or delay procedures recommended. When the planed crash-landed, it set a neighborhood adjacent to the airport on fire. What happened to Flight 759? Why was the plane unable to climb away from the airport? Why, despite thunderstorms in the area, did the plane's weather radar not indicate the storms? Why were there no weather alerts in effect? This is the story of a plane crash nearing the end of an era - an era of mysterious weather with unknown capabilities and destruction. Not that weather forecasters have it 100% figured out today, but this crash happened at a time when one of the great weather mysteries, the microburst, was only just beginning to be unraveled. Join Radar Contact Lost for a seat in the cockpit of the fated airliner, as well as what it was like to be an aviation meteorologist in the early 1980s. Learn about advancements in thunderstorm prediction and even how to predict a microburst yourself. Also, learn why the latest technology of the time, the Low Level Wind Shear Alert System, was not up to the task.

Feb 20

Send us a text The first significant snowfall of the season had just begun in central Colorado. At Denver's Stapleton International Airport, Continental Flight 1713 began to accelerate down the runway for takeoff. Within a moment of lifting off the ground, the DC-9 slammed back down onto the runway, rolled over and skidded on its roof. The left wing tore away completely, then the skin of the fuselage ripped away, exposing the passengers to the frigid air, the snow and the horrifying sight of the blurred runway speeding past - nearly close enough to touch. On this November day in 1987, a series of mistakes by the pilots of two airliners, an airline, as well as the air traffic controllers caused the crash that took 28 lives. As investigators arrived at the crash site, they had a complicated situation to untangle. Why did the captain of the DC-9 put the very inexperienced co-pilot in charge of the take-off, despite the significant snowstorm and his lack of experience? Why were the air traffic controllers unaware of this plane's position until just moments before it started to roll down the runway? How did the heavy snow impact the air operations at the airport? Why was the crash initially blamed on aircraft icing, yet the plane had been de-iced before takeoff? In this episode, the Radar Contact Lost team will examine these questions, plus: We'll look at the phenomenon known as wake turbulence, we'll examine the weather conditions at the time of the crash, and the actions of the air traffic controllers leading up to the crash. We'll also discuss how aircraft are de-iced and the difference between de-icing and anti-icing. All of this and much more, including, of all things, a wake turbulence love story.

Dec 31, 2024

Send us a text This episode is about the crash of a small, twin-engine plane: a Beechcraft Baron 58. This crash occurred on April 22, 2019 in the Texas Hill Country, about an hour northwest (by car ) from San Antonio. The flight was a relatively short one, from the west side of Houston to the Texas Hill Country town of Kerrville. The focus of the NTSB investigation of the crash was that the plane ran out of fuel, and it did. But why did a seemingly simple item reach up to bite this pilot and take the lives of all onboard? As usual with airplane crashes, there are several issues that contributed to this crash. The Radar Contact Lost Team will look closely at each issue, including an examination of the weather conditions that caused the pilot to make critical decisions that contributed to the crash - even though the weather conditions were not mentioned in the NTSB report.

Sep 8, 2024

Send us a text In what is a podcast series first - and perhaps last - for Radar Contact Lost, this episode does not tell the story of a tragic plane crash, but rather the intricate details of the landing of the Presidential Helicopter, Marine One, in dense fog. On this day, the fog was so dense, that the helicopter had to divert from its destination of the Presidential Retreat, Camp David, and instead land at a nearby high school football field. Our host describes the details of the landing with first-hand knowledge as he was the Air Force weather observer on duty at the football field that cold, rainy afternoon in the early 1980s. There was no crash, but how the president and his staff deal with unexpected weather conditions while airborne is a complicated issue. Join this episode for a fascinating look at air operations at Camp David, as well as Camp David history, a look at the VH-3 helicopter, the Alternate National Military Command Center and more.

Jul 16, 2024

Send us a text On October 12th, 1974, an Air Force weather reconnaissance Hurricane Hunter aircraft crashed into the South China Sea while investigating Typhoon Bess , taking the lives of the six crew members onboard. No debris was ever found, no sign of the crew was ever discovered. The plane seemed to have been swallowed up by the tropical cyclone miles from nowhere. There were no emergency radio calls for help or that indicated any mechanical malfunction. There were no witnesses. To this day, what happened and why remains a mystery. With the Vietnam War nearby, was the plane shot down? The team at Radar Contact Lost takes a look at the typhoon, the plane, the history of the Hurricane Hunters, and even the war and the likelihood (or not) that the plane was taken down by the enemy.

Jun 1, 2024

Send us a text On Tuesday morning, December 5, 1978, 22 people were rescued off the side of a high Colorado mountain in the southern regions of the Rocky Mountains. They had survived the frigid night at an altitude above 10,000 feet (over 3,000 meters). This was in the midst of a snowstorm, with temperatures well below freezing and winds howling above 30 miles per hour (that’s nearly 50 kilometers per hour). There was only minimal shelter. Some reports estimated the snow to be 8 feet deep and wind chill temperatures approaching 50 below zero . That they survived the brutal weather conditions is remarkable, but that they had also survived the reason for being stranded on the mountain – a plane crash – is even more remarkable. What follows is the story of that winter survival miracle, and the crash of Rocky Mountain Airways Flight 217.

Feb 3, 2024

Send us a text On February 3, 1959, a small, single-engine, 4-passenger plane took off from a remote airfield in rural Iowa. It was after midnight. It was snowing. It was windy. Moments later, the plane rolled over and flew into the ground at approximately 170mph – or about 275 kph. The 21-year-old pilot and the three passengers were killed on impact. The injuries to all four were horrific. This small crash, on a cold winter night, would reverberate through history – not only to this day, but likely until the end of time. But why ? Did the pilot make errors? Was the young pilot in over his head? Was he even qualified ? Could the plane’s instruments be blamed? Was the weather to blame? And then there’s this: Was there a gunshot onboard that killed the pilot and took the plane down? In this episode, the Radar Contact Lost team will examine what happened – I’ll start with the weather, but there were other issues – issues that, on their own, might’ve caused the plane to crash even without the complicating factor of snow, wind and darkness. I’ll also look at the pilot and his qualifications. I'll look at the plane and explain its unflattering reputation. I'll talk to pilots for their perspective. And I'll look at the famous musicians whose bright careers were tragically cut short.

Jan 14, 2024

Send us a text On the evening of February 12, 2009, Colgan Air Flight 3407 was on final approach to Runway 23 at the Buffalo Niagara International Airport in Buffalo, New York. It was dark, it was snowing, it was windy and the pilots had noted the accumulation of ice on the wings and windshield of the 78-seat regional airliner. Still, the pilots were not under undue stress as the cockpit voice recorders indicated a casual, unhurried atmosphere, there was even some unrelated chit-chat on the flight deck. Then, just moments before landing, air traffic controllers noticed the plane was no longer on their radar screens. Flight 3407 was down for reasons unknown. In the post-crash investigation, the most likely cause of the crash – the weather (including the snow, the wind and the ice) was quickly dismissed. If not the weather, then what happened to Colgan Air Flight 3407 that caused it to fall out of the night sky and claim the lives of all on board and one on the ground?

Dec 5, 2023

Send us a text On final approach to Havana’s José Martí International Airport in 1977, the Aeroflot Ilyushin IL-62M with 69 people on board, descended below the clouds and the pilot immediately was confronted with power lines between the plane and the runway – and the runway was close . The pilot attempted to pull the nose up to avoid the powerlines, but the emergency maneuver was not enough – the plane clipped the power lines and the steel-reinforced cables severed the vertical stabilizer from the rest of the plane. Rendered uncontrollable, the plane pitched sharply down and to the right, impacting the ground within seconds of contact with the power lines. The plane burst into flames, and though the rear of the fuselage was relatively intact, there were only two survivors. What, exactly, happened on this day, some 46 years ago? An airliner from one of the world’s largest airlines clipping powerlines? A rookie mistake like this seems impossible. How did – how could – this happen? There aren’t many details, but the Radar Contact Lost team examines the details and tries to fill in the blanks.

Oct 17, 2023

Send us a text At just before 2 o’clock in the afternoon on Saturday, March 5, 1966, British Overseas Airways Corporation Flight 911, took off from Tokyo’s Haneda International Airport. Bound for Hong Kong, the Boeing 707 broke apart in mid-air, just 15 minutes after departure. The crash left no survivors. The weather conditions were not an issue – at least, nothing obvious: there were no thunderstorms, no typhoons, there was no rain or snow. In fact, it was a sunny, clear, cloud-free day. It was so nice that the crew had requested a clearance so that they could stray from their intended route to Hong Kong, so that the captain could give the passengers a glorious view of the snow-capped and iconic Mt. Fuji. It was while viewing Mt. Fuji in this “sightseeing mode,” that Flight 911 met its demise. What happened to Flight 911? What caused the mid-air break-up? Was it a bomb? Did the plane strike the mountainside? Was it a mechanical failure of some kind? Was the plane unsafe? Had the crew made a mistake? Or, despite the sunny skies, was the weather to blame. In this episode, the Radar Contact Lost team will examine what happened. We’ll look at the airplane, the pilot, the airline and Mt. Fuji itself; we’ll also take a dive into the phenomenon known as Clear Air Turbulence - not only what it is, but how, why and where it occurs and why, on this day over Japan, BOAC Flight 911 was ripped apart in midair.

Aug 23, 2023

Send us a text “When a Volcano Silenced a Boeing 747 Over the Indian Ocean," is the heart-stopping tale of a commercial jetliner – a Boeing 747 – that, contrary to every other episode in this podcast series, did not crash. However, the world’s largest passenger jet at the time came about as close to a spectacular and deadly crash as it could, before the crew saved the plane and the lives of everyone on board from near-certain destruction. Even after the plane landed safely, the mystery of what happened in the dark skies, so far above the ocean remained a mystery for days . How the superior airmanship of this crew saved the lives of 248 passengers, 15 crew and the B-747 has been called one of the most heroic of all time. Join the "Radar Contact Lost" team as we discuss the meteorology, the weather, the piloting, the plane and even the geology of this amazing story.

Jul 10, 2023

Send us a text This episode is about the 1990 crash of a Bell JetRanger helicopter that was carrying a pilot and four passengers. The helicopter crashed into a ski slope at night and in the fog, killing all on board. Among the passengers was Stevie Ray Vaughan, the legendary Blues guitarist from Texas. The crash stunned the world with not only the crash that was attributed to pilot error, but the end of an amazing career of a guitarist that had burst onto the scene only seven years before with his debut album, Texas Flood , which went double-platinum and was nominated for a Grammy in the Best Traditional Blues Performance category. The crash occurred late at night and in fog. A lot of helicopters, unfortunately, have crashed in fog. Except that’s not the end of the story. In fact, it’s really only a cursory understanding of the crash, as there were other factors both before the crash and factors after the helicopter lifted above the ground – neither of which were mentioned in the official Aviation Accident Report issued by the National Transportation Safety Board. Though fog was a significant factor to the crash, there was another factor that was as surprising as it was dangerous, and it was perhaps even more lethal than the fog.

Jun 7, 2023

Send us a text This is Part 2 of 2. On a summer day in 1975, Eastern Airlines Flight 66 crashed just yards away from its intended runway at John F. Kennedy International Airport near New York City. Witnesses at the time, said the plane exploded in midair, but this was not the case. The plane had flown through a thunderstorm and had been shoved to the ground by a microburst. In 1975, thunderstorms were not well understood and their potential for severe damage had not been realized. Updrafts, downdrafts and microbursts were terms that had not yet been embraced by meteorologists or aviation safety experts, but this crash would change their minds. The flight data recorder and the cockpit voice recorder, as well as the AAR (Aircraft Accident Report) from the NTSB, provided many of the clues to what happened, but not all. What happened in the moments before this crash? What did the air traffic controllers tell the crew? What did the pilots and controllers not know, that could've prevented this crash? Why was a tornado expert summoned to investigate this crash, and how did his findings impact aviation safety in the decades to come? Episode 8 of "Radar Contact Lost: The Podcast" answers all these questions and more.

Jun 5, 2023

Send us a text Part 1 of 2. On a summer day in 1975, Eastern Airlines Flight 66 crashed just yards away from its intended runway at John F. Kennedy International Airport near New York City. Witnesses at the time, said the plane exploded in midair, but this was not the case. The plane had flown through a thunderstorm and had been shoved to the ground by a microburst. In 1975, thunderstorms were not well understood and their potential for severe damage had not been realized. Updrafts, downdrafts and microbursts were terms that had not yet been embraced by meteorologists or aviation safety experts, but this crash would change their minds. The flight data recorder and the cockpit voice recorder, as well as the AAR (Aircraft Accident Report) from the NTSB, provided many of the clues to what happened, but not all. What happened in the moments before this crash? What did the air traffic controllers tell the crew? What did the pilots and controllers not know, that could've prevented this crash? Why was a tornado expert summoned to investigate this crash, and how did his findings impact aviation safety in the decades to come? Episode 8 of "Radar Contact Lost: The Podcast" answers all these questions and more.

May 1, 2023

Send us a text In 1963, there was an unusual crash of a U.S. Air Force B-52 Bomber. The plane, while attempting to escape severe turbulence, lost its vertical stabilizer and rudder – essentially losing its ability to fly straight. The plane lost control and then crashed into a mountain in north-central Maine, located in the far northeastern corner of the United States. The crash killed seven of the nine crew members. The two who survived – one spent the frigid January night in shoulder-deep snow and the other found himself stuck in a tree with temperatures far below zero as they waited to be found and rescued. This story is about the men and the plane – one of the most well-known Air Force planes (and, perhaps, one of the most well-known in the world). We’ll also look at the weather conditions that led to the crash, the crash-site memorial established after the crash and the changes in aircraft design that impacted not only future generations of the B-52 bomber, but the airliners we all fly in today.

Apr 8, 2023

Send us a text Imagine a world where the word "tornado" is banned from public weather announcements and tornadoes are considered unforecastable. This was not Bizzaro World, but the United States of America in the 1940s. It was thought the the mere word, tornado, would cause panic and the mass hysteria would cause more death than the tornado itself. Meanwhile, U.S. Air Force weather forecasters were laying the ground work for the first tornado forecast after two tornadoes in five days tore across an Air Force base near Oklahoma City, OK. These two tornadoes were responsible for damaging or destroying more than 200 aircraft. Join Radar Contact Lost to learn about the two Air Force forecasters who created the world's first tornado forecast and the Air Force general who spurred them on. Learn why the U.S. Weather Bureau would not issue tornado forecasts and why they prevented Air Force tornado forecasts from reaching the public, and learn how the Air Force is preventing massive destruction such as the damage caused by the Twin Tornadoes of 1948. While you're listening, learn a little about Tornado Alley and even a little bit of tornado safety.

Mar 12, 2023

Send us a text On December 8, 1963, Pan Am N709PA, a Boeing 707 with the call sign "Clipper 214," exploded in flight just minutes from its final destination. Thunderstorms delayed that landing and frequent lightning around the plane made the passengers uneasy. But lightning doesn't cause airliner crashes, so the crew took no special measures to avoid the lightning. And then the plane exploded, killing all on board. Investigators quickly ruled out lightning, focusing instead on sabotage, metal fatigue and turbulence. As evidence was gathered, it became apparent that the impossible had become possible: the cause of the crash was lightning. What happened to Clipper 214 and what happened to the aviation industry after the crash? Radar Contact Lost will examine the crash, the meteorology, the sweeping changes to aircraft construction and regulations, as well as a look at the future of aircraft safety in the highly-charged environment of aircraft skin. Join the RCL team to learn about aviation weather from the meteorologists and pilots who deal with this phenomenon every day.

Jan 30, 2023

Send us a text This is the tragic tale of an Air Force cargo plane that went un-rescued for 60 years after it crashed in a blinding snowstorm and over some of the harshest terrain that Alaska has to offer. Lost and entombed in a glacier after the large Globemaster II crashed in 1952, it was finally recovered in 2012 thanks to an Air National Guard helicopter crew on a routine training mission. Today, each summer, dedicated members of the Air Force and Army return to the Colony Glacier to search for remains of the souls lost, as well as pieces of the C-124. What happened to this plane and why did it crash? Radar Contact Lost has the answers and proposes new ideas as to why the plane was where it was when it crashed.

Jan 8, 2023

Send us a text In the conclusion of "When Delta Flight 191 Crashed into the Ground One Mile Short of the Runway," we will look at the complicated way weather information moves from the air traffic controllers to the cockpit and the various sources of weather data the pilots have access to - both today and in 1985. We'll also examine some factors that may have been rising frustration levels on the ground and in the cockpit. Other aspects of this episode will examine the emergency response to the crash, the ensuing trials, the NTSB accident report (Findings and Probable Cause), and the way this accident accelerated technology (like Doppler radar) to such a degree that this crash has been called one of the most influential aviation disasters of all time. We'll even take a look at the theory that it is safer to sit in the rear of an airplane, as opposed to sitting up front. This crash triggered advancements in technology, safety and training that touches every commercial aircraft and every one of us who flies today.

Jan 5, 2023

Send us a text On August 2, 1985, a Lockheed-Martin L-1011 - Delta Flight 191 - crashed into the ground just over one mile from the runway at the Dallas-Ft. Worth International Airport (DFW). It was a hot afternoon in Texas and thunderstorms were beginning to percolate. However, one of these small storms was growing at the end of Runway 17L, almost directly in front of the approaching jetliner. The plane never made it to the runway, despite being less than 2 minutes from the anticipated touch-down. The resulting catastrophe was later proclaimed to be the most influential plane crash in history. What went wrong? Was the stormy weather insurmountable? Were mistakes made by the pilots? The air traffic controllers? The meteorologists? Turns out, all were involved and mistakes were made. This is Part 1 of "When Delta Flight 191 Crashed into the Ground."

Dec 1, 2022

Send us a text It was a cold and snowy day in Washington, DC as passengers boarded the narrow-body Air Florida 737. The plane was sprayed with de-icing fluid while waiting at the gate, but a series of errors before the plane reached the runway, and more errors on the runway, sealed the fate of this flight. Just moments after take-off, the plane fell from the sky and crash-landed on the 14th Street Bridge and then plunged into the icy Potomac River. Only five passengers and one crew member survived the crash, while four motorists were killed on the bridge. Following the crash, heroes emerged with names still recognized today. What went wrong with Flight 90? Was it a mechanical failure? Could the weather be blamed? What role did the flight crew play in this disaster? And was the nearby train derailment, where three people died, related to the plane crash? This episode of Radar Contact Lost has the answers. Note: None of the sound effects in this episode are from the actual Air Florida crash.

Nov 22, 2022

Send us a text It was a cloudy, dreary July day in New York City in 1945. What was supposed to be a routine flight from Massachusetts to New Jersey to South Dakota, ended suddenly when a combat pilot with hundreds of hours in the flak-filled skies over Germany, inexplicably slammed his B-25 bomber, the Old John Feather Merchant, into the 79th floor of the most iconic building in the United States - the Empire State Building. Did this seasoned pilot let his guard down? Did the weather forecast suddenly change? Did air traffic control provide faulty information? Why didn't radar, one of the most amazing and life-saving inventions of the war, prevent this tragedy? This episode will address all of these questions and more. Note: Sound effects in this episode are from actual B-25 Mitchell Bombers recorded at recent airshows.