Pacific Southwest Airlines Flight 182, a Boeing 727, crashed in San Diego on September 25, 1978, killing all 144 people on board and on the ground. At the time, it was the deadliest aviation accident in American history.
The aircraft had departed under seemingly perfect conditions, with light winds and clear blue skies. The disaster unfolded after the 727 collided mid-air with a Cessna Skyhawk N7711G, then plunged into the city, killing all 135 souls aboard. Seven bystanders on the ground also lost their lives.
Cockpit Recording Captures Final Moments
A chilling cockpit voice recording captured the final exchanges between the captain and crew in the moments before the catastrophe. Local air traffic controllers had warned the crew to keep a close watch on the nearby Cessna, but minutes before the collision, the crew lost visual contact with it.
First Officer Robert Fox, 38, was heard conferring with Captain James McFeron, 42, about the smaller aircraft's whereabouts. Fox says, "Yeah... I don't see him now," then asks, "Are we clear of that Cessna?" Flight Engineer Martin Wahne replies, "Supposed to be."
Laughter can seemingly be heard before Captain McFeron says, "I saw him at one o'clock, he's probably behind us now." Yet the other aircraft was directly below them. Within seconds, the 727 is struck, and McFeron exclaims, "What have we got here?" Fox responds in panic, "We're hit man, we are hit."
Final Words and Impact
McFeron then communicates with air traffic controllers, saying, "Tower, we're going down, this is PSA." As he comprehends the catastrophe, he utters, "This is it baby!" In the final moments, he instructs passengers to "Brace yourself."
An unidentified voice in the cockpit then delivers a devastating final message to their mother, saying, "Ma, I love you," as the plane impacts the ground.
In total, 144 people died in the crash, including seven crew members, 30 additional employees, two Cessna occupants, and seven locals, including five women and two children. At the time, it was America's deadliest commercial aviation disaster, a record surpassed just eight months later when American Airlines Flight 191 crashed in Chicago on May 25, 1979.
