Pacific Southwest Airlines (PSA) Flight 182, registration N533PS, was a
Boeing 727-214 commercial airliner that collided over San Diego, California with
a private Cessna 172 on September 25, 1978. The death toll of 144 makes it the
worst aircraft disaster in California history to date, and it was the first
Pacific Southwest Airlines incident involving fatalities.
The Boeing crashed into North Park, a San Diego neighborhood, killing all 135 on
board. The two men aboard the Cessna died, as did seven people on the ground,
including a family of four. Nine others on the ground were injured and 22 homes
were destroyed or damaged.
Comprehensive crash details available at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PSA_Flight_182
The following photos were taken SDPD documenting the crash by Sgt. Jerry Meloche
Above Photograph by Hans Wendt, photographer, San Diego County.
Below is the NSTB transcript of the cockpit and tower recordings:
At 8.59:30 a.m., San Diego Approach Control called the PSA to warn of traffic: "PSA 182, traffic twelve o'clock, one mile northbound." The following is from the NTSB's transcript of the tower and cockpit voice recordings (CVR). (Comments only heard inside the cockpit are in green.)
8.59:35 PSA Crew to Tower: "We're looking."
8:59:36 Captain McFeron: "Go ahead and
give the off report from LA to San Diego then [responding to
humorous conversation still taking place in cockpit]"
8:59:39 Flight Engineer Wahne: "Yeah
[sound of laugher]"
8:59:39 First Officer Fox: "Very nice"
8:59:39 San Diego Approach Control: "PSA 182, additional
traffic's, ah, twelve o'clock, three miles just north of the field
northeastbound. A Cessna 172 climbing VFR [visual flight rules] out of
one thousand four hundred."
8:59:41 Flight Engineer Wahne: "We
really broke up laughing I said so I'm late."
8:59:48 PSA Employee in Cockpit: "Yesterday
we took off out of San Francisco... [story continues until
9:00:10 followed by laughter]
8:59:50 PSA Crew to Tower: "Okay, we've got that other
twelve."
8:59:57 San Diego Approach Control: "Cessna seven seven one
one golf, San Diego departure radar contact, maintain VFR conditions at
or below three thousand five hundred, fly heading zero seven zero,
vector final approach course,
9:00:15 San Diego Approach Control: "PSA 182, traffic's at
twelve o'clock, three miles out of one thousand seven hundred."
9:00:21 First Officer Fox: "Got 'em."
9:00:22 PSA Crew to Tower: "Traffic in sight."
9:00:23 San Diego Approach Control: "Okay, sir, maintain
visual separation, contact Lindbergh tower one three three point three,
have a nice day now."
9:00:26 First Officer Fox: "Flaps two."
9:00:28 PSA Crew to Tower: "Okay"
9:00:31 Miramar Naval Station ATC: "Cessna one one golf and
traffic's at six o'clock two miles eastbound PSA jet inbound to
Lindbergh out of three thousand two hundred has you in sight."
9:00:34 PSA Crew to Tower: "Lindbergh PSA 182
downwind."
9:00:38 Lindbergh Tower: "PSA 182, Lindbergh tower, ah,
traffic twelve o'clock one mile a Cessna."
9:00:41 First Officer Fox: "Flaps five."
9:00:43 Captain McFeron: "Is that the
one (we're) looking at?"
9:00:43 First Officer Fox: "Yeah, but
I don't see him now."
9:00:44 PSA Crew to Tower: "Okay, we had it there a minute
ago."
9:00:47 Lindbergh Tower: "182, roger."
9:00:50 PSA Crew to Tower: "I think he's pass(sed) off to
our right."
9:00:51 Lindbergh Tower: "Yeah."
9:00:52 Captain McFeron: "He was right
over here a minute ago."
9:00:53 Lindbergh Tower: "How far are you going to take your
downwind 182, company traffic (another PSA jet) is waiting for
departure."
9:00:57 PSA Crew to Tower: "Ah probably about three to four
miles."
9:00:59 Lindbergh Tower: "Okay."
9:01:07 Lindbergh Tower: "PSA 182, cleared to land."
9:01:08 PSA Crew to Tower: "182's cleared to land."
9:01:11 First Officer Fox: "Are we
clear of that Cessna?"
9:01:13 Flight Engineer Wahne: "Suppose
to be."
9:01:14 Captain McFeron: "I guess."
9:01:15 [sound of laughter]
9:01:20 PSA Employee in Cockpit: "I
hope."
9:01:21 Captain McFeron: "Oh yeah,
before we turned downwind, I saw him about one o'clock, probably behind
us now."
9:01:31 First Officer Fox: "Gear down."
9:01:38 First Officer Fox: "There's
one underneath."
9:01:39 First Officer Fox: "I was
looking at that inbound there."
9:01:45 Captain McFeron: "Whoop!"
9:01:46 First Officer Fox: "Aghhh!"
9:01:47 Miramar Naval Station: "Cessna one one golf a
traffic ah in your vicinity a PSA jet has you in sight he's descending
for Lindbergh."
9:01:47 [Sound of impact]
9:01:47 PSA Employee in Cockpit: "Oh [two
deleted words]"
9:01:49 Captain McFeron: "Easy baby,
easy baby."
9:01:51 Captain McFeron: "What have we
got here?"
9:01:52 First Officer Fox: "It's bad."
9:01:53 First Officer Fox: "We're hit
man, we are hit."
9:01:56 PSA Crew to Tower: "Tower, we're going down, this is
PSA."
9:01:57 Lindbergh Tower: "Okay, we'll call the (emergency)
equipment for you."
9:01:58 Unidentified PSA crewmember: "Whoo!"
9:01:58 [Sound of stall warning]
9:01:59 Unidentified PSA crewmember: "Bob."
9:02:00 Unidentified PSA crewmembers: "[several deleted
words from two crewmembers]"
9:02:03 Captain McFeron: "Brace
yourself."
9:02:04 Unidentified PSA crewmember: "Hey
baby..."
9:02:04 Unidentified PSA crewmember: "Ma,
I love yah."
9:02:04.5 [End of recording]