Memorial Held In North Park On 41st Anniversary Of PSA Flight 182

SAN DIEGO — Local residents held a memorial in the neighborhood of North Park Wednesday to commemorate the 41st anniversary of the 1978 Pacific Southwest Airlines Flight 182 crash, which killed 144 people.

As part of the annual ceremony, residents and the victims' loved ones hung newspaper clippings and wreaths at the site of the crash at the corner of Dwight and Nile streets. Vintage San Diego Police Department patrol cars from the 1970s were on the scene, and each victim's name was written in chalk on the sidewalk.

At roughly 9 a.m. on Sept. 25, 1978, Flight 182 was descending on San Diego International Airport when it collided with a Cessna 172 over North Park. The Boeing 727 crashed near Dwight and Nile, while the Cessna landed near the intersection of Polk Avenue and 32nd Street.

In addition to the 135 killed aboard Flight 182 and the two Cessna co-pilots, the crash killed seven people on the ground, including two children.

Nine others on the ground were injured and 22 homes in North Park were destroyed or damaged.

The PSA Flight 182 Historical Committee continues to work with local officials to find a permanent location in the neighborhood for a memorial plaque -- one already exists at the San Diego Air and Space Museum -- without infringing on property rights or causing a public safety hazard.

City Councilman Chris Ward, whose district includes North park, and Assemblyman Todd Gloria, D-San Diego, have both expressed interest in the establishment of a permanent memorial.

The Dwight and Nile intersection currently has a temporary plaque with the names of each victim.

– City News Service