Best of The History Guy: Aviation Disasters

Five classic The History Guy episodes on Aviation Disasters. One Hour of The History Guy!

0:00 - The Explosion on American Airlines Flight 96
9:41 - The accident on Aloha Airlines Flight 243
22:41 - Eddie Rickenbacker's Raft, a story of survival
32:55 - 1945 Empire State Building B-25 Crash
44:30 - Crash Landing of a Piper Navajo at King's Lynn

As THG was returning from a speaking engagement in the UK this week, we decided to release this "supercut" of classic episodes. We might do this again from time to time. If you have constructive advice as to how to improve the format, feel free to comment.

This is original content based on research by The History Guy. Images in the Public Domain are carefully selected and provide illustration. As very few images of the actual event are available in the Public Domain, images of similar objects and events are used for illustration.

You can purchase the bow ties worn in these episodes at The Tie Bar:

All events are portrayed in historical context and for educational purposes. No images or content are primarily intended to shock and disgust. Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it. Non censuram.

The History Guy: History Deserves to Be Remembered is the place to find short snippets of forgotten history from five to fifteen minutes long. If you like history too, this is the channel for you.

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Contents of this Video:

00:00 - The Explosion on American Airlines Flight 96
10:26 - The accident on Aloha Airlines Flight 243
22:42 - Eddie Rickenbacker's Raft
32:53 - 1945 Empire State Building B-25 Crash
44:24 - Crash Landing of a Piper Navajo at King's Lynn

[JohnRodriguesPhotographer]

Eddie Richenbacher was an amazing force of nature. Legend has it, in retirement every evening he fed the seagulls. His homage to the seagull that saved his life.

[stevecockrell]

Perfect example of the statement of Bob Hoover: " when faced with any emergency fly the plane as far into the crash as possible " this pilot did just that! Well well

[stevenmccrickard]

Our two favorites in one! THE HISTORY GUY & AVIATION DISASTERS ! THANK YOU HISTORY GUY!

[andrewm]

My parents were killed on August 19, 1980 (my 25th birthday) on Saudia Airlines L-1011 Flight 163. There was a fire in the cargo area. The pilot landed successfully in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, but he taxied to an off ramp at the end of the runway instead of stopping quickly to allow people to evacuate. 301 passengers and crew died of smoke inhalation. Then the top half of the plane burned. No one survived. My father was an engineer working on a new airport in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

[Richard-odyd]

I survived the 1960 NYC MIDAIR COLLISION. I was living near Sterling place when the plane crashed and could see the flame outside my living room window.
My parents never talked about it. I was finally able to, piece together my memories by watching the HISTORY GUY .

[alantoon]

Back in 1969, my brother wrote to Captain Eddie, I guess to get his autograph. By then the Captain had been retired from Eastern Airlines for many years, but still maintained an office in New York. Imagine my brother's surprise when he received a hand written reply from that great and wonderful man himself.
We just do not make people like CAPT Eddie any more....

[bladder]

History Guy is not only an excellent historian, but also an exciting narrator. So excellent!

[TheBelagaana]

Great compilation! You have done great honor to all victims in how you described each incident.

[charlie]

Good day Mr History Guy, I am currently on a mission to watch all ur youtube videos at a pace of 4 ur 5 a day, thank you for the great fun and wonderful content#😉

[RetiredSailor]

My father was a private pilot for 61 years. He survived one crash in 1960 in his first plane, a Stinson. Broke both legs, an arm, and both wrists. Got back in the saddle once he healed up. Bought a 1947 Cessna 140.

[sharonwhiteley]

Crashes of importance, forgotten by many, and totally unknown by more, narrated in the manner that only the HISTORY GUY is able to do.

There are more close calls, midair maintenance issues and problems caused by weather than people realize. The old maxim: Been there/done that, is enough for our family to say: glad our flying days are over. GOD has gotten us through some rather frightening flights through our lives which we praise Him for years afterwards.

THANKS HISTORY GUY.

[agairinc]

Being a 3rd generation professional pilot, I’m very impressed with your research and accuracy on the aviation videos.

[rplpalacio]

"I don't have enough life insurance"was hilarious man

[georgemallory]

What is crazy is that my great grandmother was born the year BEFORE Eddie Rickenbacker. We didn't bury her until 1988. She drove a car until 1982. THAT is history that deserves to be remembered, too.

[dannyjones]

I've seen all these episodes, but what a treat to have them rolled into an hour of some of the best narration out there!

[RicktheCrofter]

I read Rickenbacker’s autobiography when I was a teenager. When he went down in the Pacific he was still recovering from injuries he received in the crash of one of his airliners. Injured and trapped in the wreckage he helped direct the survivors to make contact with rescuers.

[mattshaffer]

Aircraft mechanic here. Love your treatment of aviation stories so much! Flying home from Boston to Seattle in a day and a half so I’ll save this one for Seattle 😉

[brentjenkinsdesigns]

Short snippets of forgotten history .. lol. That being said. Nice long episode. I enjoyed every minute!

[dukebacher]

At 50:49 begins some of the most passionate storytelling I've seen. Bravo, THG! I was on the edge of my seat, literally!

[blueskies]

Flt 243 the rest of the story. The accident aircraft had a sister ship B737 at Aloha. It was the next aircraft off the assembly line. It had flown in the same environment with many cycles. They thought they had better give it a close inspection. After the inspection it was deemed unrepairable and never flew again.