Memorial erected in honor of the victims of San Diego PSA Flight 182

The 46th anniversary was a memorial to the 144 people who died in California's worst plane crash over San Diego's North Park neighborhood in 1978.

SAN DIEGO – On Wednesday, September 25, 2024 – exactly 46 years to the day after California’s deadliest plane crash over San Diego’s North Park neighborhood – the 144 people who died in that deadliest plane crash were remembered.

The City of San Diego has installed a plaque in North Park to commemorate the victims of PSA Flight 182, marking the 46th anniversary of the tragic crash.

On September 25, 1978, at 9:01 a.m., a Pacific Southwest Airlines airliner en route to Lindbergh Field collided with a private Cessna in the skies over San Diego. The debris and wreckage from the collision fell into the North Park neighborhood.

All 135 people on board Flight 182 and two on board the Cessna were killed, as were seven people on the ground, including two children. Nine people on the ground were also injured.

In addition, a permanent memorial was erected at nearby Saint Augustine High School to honor the dead. The high school gymnasium was used as a temporary morgue during recovery efforts.

The crash

September 25, 1978 is a date etched in the minds of many San Diego residents. Those who lived here – and elsewhere – remember the shocking images of burning airplane debris and burning homes following the crash of PSA Flight 182, which occurred 45 years ago Tuesday.

Nearly two dozen homes were destroyed by falling debris and the impact of the plane. As fires raged on the ground, large clouds of smoke were visible in surrounding areas.

According to the San Diego Police Historical Association, the crash was the largest aviation disaster in U.S. history at the time.

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News 8 staff rushed to the scene and reported on the aftermath of the tragic crash days, months and years later.

On the 45th anniversary of the PSA Flight 182 crash, News 8 remembers the 144 victims and extends its condolences to the families and friends who have lost loved ones.

Here are some excerpts from News 8's coverage from September 1978.

The day after PSA Flight 182 crashed in North Park in 1978, News 8's Cathy Clark spoke with neighbors who were just trying to process what had happened in their quiet San Diego neighborhood.

Click here to watch it on YouTube.

A day after the tragic crash of PSA Flight 182 in North Park, News 8's Jesse Macias reported from PSA headquarters in San Diego. Employees volunteered their time to field calls from around the world from people trying to find their loved ones after the crash.