25 years ago today - PSA 182 crashed in San Diego

[chrismac]

Anyone who lived in this city on Sept 25, 1978 remembers that sunny morning when a 727 dropped out of the sky, killing 144 people on board and on the ground, destroying a whole city block and spreading crash debris and smoking ruin all over the place.

 

My grandma was on her way to the hair dresser and saw the big column of black smoke. My house is in the flight path, but a few miles away.

 

Unforgettable.

[Guest Utopia]

Years after the crash my father married a woman who had a daughter that was killed on the flight. The daughter was a stewardess on the doomed flight. So since that introduction to the family it has been even more vivid then it might have been.

 

I was living in San Diego at the time and remember that day well. A little bits and pieces for you, the photographer who caught the stunning picture of the plane on fire and going down was actually working on assignment in Hillcrest at the time. He has commented that it was all an accident ... that he was on top of a building and pointed his camera to the sky to check on a lense when he noticed the plane. He just kept snapping pictures off till the roll of film was finished.

[bluenix]

http://www.ezshots.com/members/blueman/images/blueman-122.gif

[Huey]

bluenix life must be really empty for you, huh

[bluenix]

>bluenix life must be really empty for you, huh

 

You'll never know.

 

Are you picking a fight? Because I might be in the mood for one if the liquor holds out.

 

BTW, did you ever find work?

[bluenix]

Pic of the Disaster and Link to Cockpit Voice Recording...

 

Sorry, Chris. Didn't mean to be rude or hijhack your thread.

 

http://www.univers-cite.qc.ca/tucs/crv/psa_f182/crash_r.jpg

 

09/25/1978 09:02 LOCATION: San Diego, CA CARRIER: Pacific Southwest Airlines and Cessna FLIGHT: 182 AIRCRAFT: B-727-214 / Cessna 172 REGISTRY: N533PS/N7711G ABOARD: 137 FATAL: 137 GROUND: 7 DETAILS: Midair collision. Failure of the flightcrew of Pacific Southwest to comply with the provisions of a maintain-visual-separation clearance.

 

Transcript of cockpit voice recording:

 

http://www.univers-cite.qc.ca/tucs/crv/psa_f182/psa.html

[Huey]

>>bluenix life must be really empty for you, huh

>

>You'll never know.

>

>Are you picking a fight?

NO, Huey doesn't fight x( .

>

>BTW, did you ever find work?

 

Yes I am at some station not unlike WKRP thanks for all the concern.

[chrismac]

RE: Pic of the Disaster and Link to Cockpit Voice Recording...

 

No problem Huey - thanks for posting the pic.

 

I remember hearing on the news the pilot's last words: "I love you Mom." Heartbreaking.

[SDTop]

As a long time San Diego resident, I remember vividly the crash on that beautiful morning.

 

I was heading home from some early morning errands and had just stopped at a stop sign when I heard a loud "boom" overhead. I poked my head out of the window just in time to see exactly what you see in the photo of the plane coming down. I remember thinking immediately, "My God, all those people know they are going to die..what they must be going through right now". The plane crashed just 3 blocks in front of me..I saw it go all the way down. I expected to hear a huge crash sound because I was so close..but heard nothing. A huge plume of dark smoke started rising from the site. I went into some sort of weird shock. I didn't even think of going to the site of the crash..I just slowly drove toward my house. As I was driving I passed a charred metal object in the road. I later found out that it was one of the engines from the small plane that hit the jet. It suddenly began to "snow"..small bits of metal, glistening in the brilliant sunshine, were falling all around..very very weird. I got home and called my mother.

 

I had horrible nightmares for months afterwards and developed a fear of flying (duh!) that I never had before. I had to eventually see a counselor and talk about it and that helped. And, of course, time heals all. I have none of the problems anymore but seeing this thread brought it all back again..thanx for letting me share this.