Accident Report: Pacific Southwest Airlines

Accident Report: Pacific Southwest Airlines Flight 182

This Accident Report gives a summary of the mid-air collision between a Boeing 727 commercial airliner (the Pacific Southwest Airlines flight 182) and a Cessna training aircraft that occurred over a San Diego neighborhood on September 25, 1978. It was one of the biggest air disasters in the U.S. aviation history in which all 135 people on board the PSA flight including its 7 member crew, the 2 pilots in the Cessna and 7 persons on the ground were killed (Shess, 1998).

Events Leading to the Accident

At 0816 Pacific Standard Time (PST), September 25, 1978, a Gibbs Flite Center Cessna aircraft departed Montgomery field, California with a flight instructor and a certified pilot who was receiving instrument flight training on board ("Aircraft Accident Report," 1979, p.2). The Cessna, after practicing Instrument Landing System approaches on one of the runways at the San Diego International Airport, contacted the Airport's approach control. It was advised to maintain Visual Flight Rules (VFR) conditions at or below 3500 ft. And to fly a heading of 070 o.

On the same day, a Boeing 727 aircraft designated as Pacific Southwest Airlines' flight 182 was on a regular commercial passenger flight operating between Sacramento and San Diego. After its scheduled stopover in Los Angeles, flight 182 made contact with San Diego approach control at 0853 PST and was cleared for a visual approach to runway 27 (Ibid).

At 0859: 39 the approach controller advised flight 182 about "traffic at twelve o'clock," referring to the Cessna and asked it to "maintain visual separation"; the information was acknowledged by flight 182. At 0900:31, the approach controller advised the Cessna pilot about "traffic at six o'clock" -- referring to the PSA jet cleared for landing -- and that it had the Cessna "in sight." The Cessna pilot acknowledged the communication. At 0900:34, Flight 182 contacted the control tower and informed that they were on the downwind leg for landing (Ibid.).

Recording of the conversation among the crew-members of flight 182 revealed considerable confusion in the cockpit prior to the accident. For example, at one point the captain radioed the tower, "Okay, we had it there a minute ago... I think he's passed off to our right." Later, the first officer is heard asking, "Are we clear of that Cessna?" The flight engineer responds with, "Supposed to be"; and the captain says, "I guess." ("CVR Transcript..." n.d.).

The Accident

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigation report, referring to eyewitness accounts records that both aircrafts were proceeding in an easterly direction before the collision. The Boeing was descending and overtaking the Cessna, which was climbing. Just before impact, the Boeing banked to the right slightly, and the Cessna pitched nose-up, colliding with the right wing of Flight 182. ("Aircraft Accident Report," 1979, p.4) Also, just before the impact, the captain, probably anticipating the collision exclaimed "Whoop!" And the first officer moaned "Aghhh!" The Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR) recorded the sound of impact at 0901:47 ("CVR Transcript..." n.d.). The Cessna broke up immediately on impact and exploded. Parts of the Boeing's right wing also fell out. Following the impact, Flight 182 began a shallow right descending turn leaving a trail of vapor-like substance from the right wing. A bright orange fire also erupted in the vicinity of the right wing and increased in intensity as the aircraft descended. The aircraft remained in a right turn until its impact with the ground, which occurred at 0902: 07.