Memorial plaque in North Park honors victims of PSA Flight 182 crash – NBC 7 San Diego

On September 25, 1978, 144 people were killed in a plane crash in a North Park neighborhood. Now, 46 years later, a memorial plaque finally honors the victims of this tragedy.

San Diego City Councilman Stephen Whitburn on Wednesday dedicated the long-awaited memorial at the corner of Dwight and Nile streets, where Pacific Southwest Airlines Flight 182 crashed that fateful day.

“For far too long, there has been no memorial to the victims of this tragedy,” Whitburn said. “The crash of PSA Flight 182 is a significant event in San Diego's history. This plaque will be a lasting tribute to the lives lost, the families affected, and the legacy of aviation safety improvements that followed.”

The flight, a routine flight from Sacramento to San Diego, collided in mid-air with a small private plane, causing both to crash. PSA 182 crashed, killing all 135 people on board and seven on the ground in North Park. The small Cessna 172 plane crashed on Polk Avenue, killing the two men on board. Nine people on the ground were injured.

The nearby St. Augustine High School was used for triage and as a morgue for the victims.

It was the worst plane crash in California's history and, up to that point, the worst in US history. It was surpassed just under a year later by the disaster of American Airlines Flight 191, in which 273 people lost their lives.

San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria also attended the inauguration on Wednesday.

According to Whitburn, these efforts “represent a long overdue recognition of the significance of this event, not only to the families and friends of the victims, but also to the broader San Diego community and the aviation industry.”