Radar Contact Lost: The Podcast

When a Volcano Silenced a Boeing 747 High Over the Indian Ocean

Radar Contact Lost: The Podcast

Show Notes

Send us Fan Mail “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 w...

More from Radar Contact Lost: The Podcast

Sep 8, 2026

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, we’ll examine the crash and death of naval fighter pilot, civilian test pilot and recreational pilot Scott Crossfield – we’ll talk about who he was, what he did and how he died. On the one hand, this was a surprising crash by a pilot who flew into a thunderstorm. You’re not supposed to do that. On the other hand, this was a crash by one of the most experienced and technologically advanced pilots of the 20th century. Books have been written about the acc...

Jun 21, 2026

Send us Fan Mail On a pleasant Monday morning in June, 1963, a Douglas DC-7C departed from McCord Air Force Base in Washington state. The plane was loaded with military members of the United States Armed Forces. The destination was Elmendorf Air Force Base in Alaska. The airliner never reached its destination. What exactly happened to this airliner remains a mystery. However, several theories hold some elements of reality. Though, like many fantastic or tragic stories with too few answers, th...

Apr 16, 2026

Send us Fan Mail On Tuesday afternoon, May 24, 1988, Transportes Aéreos del Continente Americano (TACA) Flight 110 was painting thunderstorms and rain showers on the cockpit weather radar. The plane was enroute from San Salvador to New Orleans. It was a regularly scheduled flight, and the route across Central America and the Gulf of Mexico was routine. Cruising at about 35,000 feet (or 11,000 meters), no one onboard, not the crew and not the passengers, had any idea of what was about to happe...

Feb 9, 2026

Send us Fan Mail On July 30, 2025, Delta Airlines Flight 56, an Airbus A330-900, carrying 275 passengers and 13 crew, was cruising at about 37,000 feet/11,300 meters over the high plains region of south central Wyoming. The evening flight had been underway for about 40 minutes; there were perhaps 9-or-so hours remaining before reaching the destination of Amsterdam in The Netherlands. Meal service had begun and passengers were settled in for the long, overnight flight. Looking out to the late ...

Nov 28, 2025

Send us Fan Mail 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 d...

See all episodes →