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Memorial plaque unveiled in North Park to mark the 46th anniversary of the PSA 182 disaster

Councillor Stephen Whitburn lays flowers next to the plaque on Wednesday. Photo credit: Whitburn's office

A long-awaited plaque commemorating the victims of Pacific Southwest Airlines Flight 182 was installed in North Park as the community marked the 46th anniversary of the crash that killed 144 people.

City Councilor Stephen Whitburn dedicated the memorial he created on Wednesday at the corner of Dwight and Nile Streets, where PSA Flight 182 crashed on September 25, 1978.

“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 reminder of 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.”

City News Service contributed to this article.

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