The Story of PSA Flight 182 | A Short Documentary | Fascinating Horror

[@helldragonreginald]

Never change the music. There's something bizarrely comforting to hearing it despite the stories of tragedies

[@cathyl7944]

You just never want to hear it playing over the intercom on your flight. 😂

[@emmasnana234]

I have it as my ringtone. I always look around when it rings in public to see if anyone thinks we’re all about to die! 🤣

[@lindafry8015]

@@emmasnana234 I would love to know the name of the song or how you did that. I'd like to do this too.

[@donjuan2421]

Word, never change the music; it would change the dynamic

[@CLove511]

​@@lindafry8015 Music: "Glass Pond" by Public Memory

[@jinka6171]

My friend, Marti was a PSA airline attendant was on this flight. She was ‘ deadheading’ back to San Diego. The recovery crew returned only her ring to her devastated mother.

[@AngryRantsAndStuff]

😢

[@lanaofficiel4042]

Tragic.

[@christopherpericolosi-king4979]

Jesus. That's awful.

[@ItsKrma00]

I was a visiting nurse for her mother about 20 years ago. Her home was plastered with pictures of her daughter. She was still grieving greatly.

[@jinka6171]

@ My friend Marcia was Marti’s mother. Marsha was a very good friend of mine. She was never the same after this incident. Her only daughter oh my God.

[@raydunakin]

This crash is etched in my memory. I was at work in Lemon Grove, several miles east of the crash site. I had gone outside on a break and noticed thick black smoke starting to rise up off to the west. When I got back inside the radio station had interrupted their regular programming and was saying a plane had crashed. We listened to the news coverage all through the rest of the day.

[@Coolcarting]

How did the radio station find out about this so quick?

[@richardmcavoy6413]

@@Coolcarting A lot of them use scanners to monitor police, fire and medical frequencies. They can hear the moment emergency services are dispatched, where to, and what for.

[@stargatis]

Hi neighbor ( Dinuba/Visalia)💙

[@Joanla1954]

Lakeside for me

[@vostock83]

I remember this. I recall that a news crew actually filmed the two planes crashing, from a distance, I remember watching it, but I haven't seen it since--do you recall that?

[@SSNS_Seasons]

Thanks for covering this, my grandparents worked for PSA and both died on this flight. Dad was left alone at only age 11.

[@aceckrot]

Sorry for your loss.

[@laurenisalltherage]

Good god, how awful. Im so sorry.

[@hiko73]

Omg, that’s horrible!

[@SilverScreenDreamer]

So very sorry for your loss.

[@whosthatgirl411]

So sorry for your loss!

[@MrPhilm00r]

I've heard about this crash a few times, but this is the first time that I've heard about one of them in the cockpit saying "Ma, I love you." That is gut wrenching 💔

[@bluecollie55_movies25]

I agree. So sad and devastating.

[@Houleigan]

Mr. Ballen covered this story and included the quote.

[@MamaBearAngela]

Made me cry. :( Such a needless accident, just like all of these, and every one of those souls had someone who loved them too, waiting for them to land safely.

[@pearldragon6508]

I teared up immediately 😪😪

[@bluecollie55_movies25]

@@pearldragon6508 I feel about the same. Modern transportation offers such awesome wonderful vehicles, and yet it is a shame that somehow accidents happen that will create terrible destruction and great injury and/or death.

[@SeddieWeddie]

Fun fact: A man known as Jack Ridout, one of the lucky few to have survived the Tenerife Disaster on Pan Am 1736, missed this very flight! Fate also saved him from possible death in the Vietnam War as well!

[@dellaboca9737]

I hope he played the lotto

[@cruisepaige]

Hoiy smokes!

[@ydoomenaud]

I was looking for this comment. Jack's life sounds like a series of events that could have been a Ryan Gosling movie about fate and survivor's guilt.

[@GonzoShitcock]

Seth McFarlane missed flight 93

[@ZephyrusAsmodeus]

That's real fun lol

[@maryw3643]

My dad watched this plane crash. He started to run to the scene to help, then realized that there was nothing that he could do. Mom was working the grocery store check-out at the time and remembers looking out of the window and seeing the huge cloud of black smoke that filled the sky. They had nightmares for weeks. Dad still remembers the crash on every anniversary

[@gentlespiritjw4904]

I'm so sorry your parents had to see something so tragic. I don't think I would ever recover from an experience like that. God bless your parents and keep them well. 🙏 Jean

[@maryw3643]

@@gentlespiritjw4904 Yes, thank you. I forwarded this video to my dad, but I don't think that he'll watch it.

[@chatteyj]

Was he the one who took the photo of it crashing? Its very rare to get a photo of a plane crashing from the sky, I wonder how that came about.

[@maryw3643]

@@chatteyj No. He wasn't thinking about pictures when he saw it.

[@twoweeeeeks]

@@chatteyj they were taken by a city staff photographer who happened to be setting up for an event. He managed to take two in the couple of seconds the plane was still in air.

[@Datsun510zen]

I was in Roosivelt Jr High in 78, and the explosion of 182 slammed the door shot during my orchestra class. Shortly after, there was an announcement saying a plane had crash, school would be let out early, and instructions for students from North Park to stay at the Performing Arts Theater until one of their parents picked them up. This was a mind-blowing event and, being judge-mentally impaired 13 year olds, my buddy and I decided we had to see the wreckage for ourselves. Without consideration for what actually happened, we peddled toward the smoke. By the time we'd arrived, all streets leading to the site were blocked off by police, but there were narrow back alleys that connected small parallel streets to Nile. We got close enough to see fire trucks but stopped for fear of getting caught. The true weight of what we were seeing hadn't register until a breeze folded back a white cloth exposing the upper torso of a woman laying next to us. Reality came crashing in and all the air had been sucked out of the world as I knew it. For me, the worst thing was biking back out knowing what all those sheets were covering. I hadn't noticed them before but now they were scattered everywhere I looked. It was like a Hitchcock movie where the graphic horror was left to the imagination, and my mind ran with it. I couldn't stop thinking that these were people just like me. Besides being in shock from what I'd seen, I remember not letting myself feel anthing but guilt and shame, because I had no right to be there. Turns out, self compassion was the path that finally got me out of that place. For everyone effected by this horrific disaster, I hope you've found your own way to peace.

[@amberfaux2329]

It's become part of my schedule to tune in Tuesday mornings.

[@ang8158]

Same here lol...good morning🌞

[@deewaters8994]

Me too.Morning.

[@Mutsel]

Jep, same here!

[@Amarrente]

Same. I somehow wake up at 4 in the morning for me and see the notification that there's a new video!

[@zew1414]

I was just about to say the exact same thing! Lol

[@o0oTyPow]

Of all the plane crashes in the US, it shocked me to see you choose this one. I remember as a little girl, watching it plummet to the ground. My dad was taking pictures of me getting ready for my first day of school after just moving there. This is a good mini documentary! It reminded me of the something I have not thought about in years. And made me think of another similar crash in LA, Aeromexico flight 498.

[@momstah]

Did you go to McKinley? I saw it as well.

[@TheGryfonclaw]

Good lord that must have been terrifying for you :-(

[@BadWebDiver]

It reminded me of the Aeromexico flight as well....

[@Joanla1954]

Oh yes, back in the days when school started late in the month. Now with ac in all schools they can, and do, start a lot earlier. Were the pictures your dad took published?

[@guyfaux900]

I've heard some pretty traumatizing stories from this crash.

[@kquinnvandevelde1384]

I cannot imagine the absolute horror that the people on the ground, including survivors, experienced. Obviously it's horrible for everyone, but there's something so viscerally terrifying about a plane plummeting from the sky onto your neighborhood on a beautiful day. You just can never prepare yourself for something like that.

[@CLove511]

Anyone else's butt pucker whenever you hear -- but don't see -- a plane that sounds like it's in a nose dive above you?

[@rileybobbert6527]

yeah you actually can prepare for that. whats worse is the people in the plane who could literally actuallly do nothing

[@momstah]

I was there. I was in 3rd grade and saw it through my school windows. It still brings me to tears.

[@joemoore1998]

@@rileybobbert6527 the people in the plane at least always knew there was a possibility of a crash. The people on the ground literally got annihilated without warning….

[@planescaped]

@@CLove511 We used to get military jets flying over where we live years back. Would shake the entire house, all the windows would rattle and you'd hear this booming like constant low thunder. Plus there were occasionally sonic booms, sounded like an impossibly distant car engine blowing out. I remember one time there was a plane that seemed almost out of control with how fast and low they were. Freaked kid me the hell out. Fortunately they banned military aircraft from training over cities sometime in the 00's. One of those residual holdovers from the Cold War that took way too long for them to realize, why are we still doing this?

[@markturner1970]

I'm stunned to learn that they were allowed to train people in single engined light aircraft above a major airport. Damn. RIP to all the victims.

[@MakerInMotion]

Yeah America has so many small regional airports and air strips there's no reason to be using the same runways as the big boys.

[@piperjaycie]

That what I thought too.

[@norml.hugh-mann]

Blindfolded at that

[@reachandler3655]

I was wondering why they weren't practicing at a smaller/quieter airfield.

[@MrArgus11111]

Surprise! This happens every day at whatever huge airport you have and it doesn't cause any trouble. I can't help but dance this out... doo doo doo, dooo dooo, doo do doo.... Small aircraft pilots and crews, many of them carrying passengers still have to learn busy airports... do do do. The 737 Model Boring, that takes you to Disney World, is not the only plane in the world.

[@helensarkisian7491]

If I’m not mistaken, this incident gave counselors a vital insight as to how people react to such things. Some cry to cope with the horror while others use humor, and the two should never be mixed for any sort of group therapy. Mind you, those who use humor are ***NOT*** being jovial about the fact that a major disaster just occurred. Nor do they disregard the loss of life. They simply shift their focus onto other things to buffer the pain. I know them well because I do the same thing. The horror is too much to handle in one moment. I need time to let it sink in. During that time, don’t put me with those who cry. We’ll only clash in the worst ways and delay our respective recoveries.

[@stormbornapostle5188]

There's a M*A*S*H episode where someone asks Hawkeye why he's making wisecracks in the midst of the horrors of war, and he replies "it's the only way I can open my mouth without screaming".

[@AnonEMus-cp2mn]

One horrifying aspect to note was the sideways high-angle impact of the plane, which caused what remained if its occupants to be ejected all over the crash site. The sheer carnage took days to clean up and left many witnesses, police officers, and service workers with PTSD.

[@Earthneedsado-over177]

It must have been utterly gruesome. People are not meant to see people in that condition.

[@gohawks3571]

Uhg! Those poor people☹️ That's like multiple layers of disaster. That reminds me of a particular earthquake in CA (can't remember the name; Loma Linda, I think). There was a documentary on it. One of the guys having to do clean up where the highway pancaked said he just pretended to be on set of a horror movie, since he was picking up limbs, etc. Respect & kudos to those who have to deal with these situations☹️✌️

[@PandaNFriends23]

Jesus Christ

[@PandaNFriends23]

@@gohawks3571 bless human ingenuity and creativity. Intense survival mindset. So proud of that chap. I hope he never had to pay for another beer. But it's reality so I'm pretty certain that is a wash but the sentiment is still there dammit.

[@opwave79]

@@gohawks3571 yes I was a freshman in college in Davis (near Sacramento) when the Loma Prieta earthquake hit and a large section of I-880 pancaked. A section of the Bay Bridge also went down. My roomie and I were glued to the tv that entire evening watching the coverage. A lot of us had family in the Bay Area.

[@gabrielbruce1977]

I remember hearing testimony from a firefighter who responded to the crash of 182. He said at the time that they had started putting rescue blankets over the *chunks* of passengers and crew, because to them, that was life. Also, that was the day I learned that especially traumatic memories are often recalled in sepia tones- because your brain is so fucked from what it experienced it can't bring back colour.

[@r.j.penfold]

Oh damn thanks for teaching me something new. I hope he's okay.

[@beng1642]

I legit never knew the brain did that. Thank you for teaching me a new fact this morning.

[@bluecollie55_movies25]

It must have been very surreal and nightmarish to have an entire neigberhood turn into an area of ruined, burning houses, a large crater, wrecked jet airplane parts and *shredded body parts of what used to be people* all over. RIP to all of the dead.

[@rickm6076]

Impacted with 15 psi equivalent force. That’s enough to crush a concrete building if a shockwave has that force. So yeah ppl become mush and small pieces.

[@deletdis6173]

There's a graphic Faces of Death video on this on KZbin.

[@momstah]

I saw that plane go down. I was in 3rd grade in Mrs. Van Matres class at McKinley Elementary, about 1/2 mile from the crash site. I remember looking up through the slatted windows in the bungalow classroom and seeing a plane with it's wing on fire going down. There was an enormous BOOM and shaking. Every hand in the classroom went up to "use the bathroom" but the teacher took us all outside and we lined up, with the rest of the school, looking down the street perpendicular at a MASSIVE fire. Kids were crying, the ones who lived that direction. I have no idea how long we were out there and sirens were coming from everywhere. Next thing I knew, I was shuttled into a friend's car and driven home where my grandma was very emotional. My mom was at work at the JC Penny's in North Park, my brother was riding his bike on Texas street and it flew/crashed over him. They used St. Augustine High School as a temp morgue and I had to pass that everyday on my way to school. That vision of the plane going down isn't a still picture for me. Yes, it has affected me and I DESPISE flying, but I do it when I have to.

[@Panda-cute]

That’s horrifying, but I’m glad that it sounds like your family was okay. I can’t imagine going through that as a kid

[@adamcoe]

They took you outside to look? The fuck is wrong with people

[@anastasia-fr1gn]

@@adamcoe I doubt it was to look. Usually in emergencies at schools they have a routine of going outside and waiting for further instructions on what to do.

[@windsofmarchjourneyperrytr2823]

That's kinda silly, as a car is a billion times more likely to kill you. Most people in plane crashes don't even die. Lots of survivors. Walking is more dangerous.

[@Vic7ors]

@@windsofmarchjourneyperrytr2823 this is b.s most people usually dont make it when plane crashes happen. either way id still rather drive. I have a fear of flying.

[@gordonm.9280]

My father was a police officer in San Diego at the time and responded to the accident scene. The worst thing he remembers was a torso that was stuck into the side of a car with a little bit of the skirt (possibly flight attendants) still on it. Legs facing outward. Plane crashes are a terrible thing.

[@Snake_0_]

I’ve seen many videos on this particular plane crash. I think what sets it apart from most is the photograph of it in flames and heading for the ground. Truly terrifying. RIP to all those who lost their lives.

[@AnthonyHandcock]

Exactly the image I had in my mind on the two occasions I have flown. I never expected for a minute that I'd be scared of flying and my partner, who was terrified, thoroughly enjoyed it once we got rolling. If I never fly again it'll be too soon. I only flew the second time because we had to get home somehow :-D

[@KristenDETW]

I can see the windows, so horrible.

[@MM-tt7hy]

Same goes for the Concorde. Another haunting pic.

[@Snake_0_]

Aeromexico Flight 498 has an eerie photo as well

[@dwlopez57]

A commercial photographer was hired to take photos at a service station for an advertisement. He heard the collision and was able to swing his camera up to get that famous shot.

[@GoGreen1977]

As the daughter of an air traffic controller, I remember reading everything I could and watching all of the news coverage about this tragedy in the fall of 1978, just as I was starting my second year of grad school in Michigan. Little did I know that less than four years later, I would be working in the same Sacramento office and sitting in the same desk as one of the victims. Another employee of that office also died in the crash. A third had decided to disembark in LA to attend a work function there and would join the other two later. The sudden deaths of two colleagues still seemed all too fresh in the memories of those who had known the two victims. They seemed more than willing to talk to me about the experience, even though a few came close to tears, but they also shared fond memories of the two. The only coworker who didn't say much was the one who got off the plane in LA. I think he still suffered from survivor's guilt.

[@thEannoyingE]

Footage of this crash aftermath was included in the first Faces of Death film. The director got a tape from a news station, only labeled “Parts”, and it’s content was just that, strewn shredded bodies, or the remains of them, all across the neighborhood. It’s probably the most chilling thing I’ve seen, such a horrific event.

[@alexaleshire2420]

I wanna watch it

[@kami_narisama]

@@alexaleshire2420 it's available on youtube with the exact title

[@TheTurkaderr]

are you sure that's real ? I mean it's been revealed years later that most of the Faces of Death films were staged and fake or highly edited footage from other things. I am not doubting, just asking if it has been confirmed.

[@kami_narisama]

@@TheTurkaderr from what I've read, the only faked scenes in the first movie (iirc there's multiple faces of death) is the dog fighting once. The dogs were actually playing with each other and they added ketchup or syrup onto them to make them as if they're wounded. The rest i think is real footages.

[@93seronica]

@@TheTurkaderryes it was real

[@aceckrot]

I remember a lot of blame being cast towards the Cessna shortly after this incident, with the general thought being that the larger commercial planes had the right of way, which isn't the case. I've seen several documentaries about this crash, which put more of the blame on the controllers and especially the pilots, who failed to maintain visual separation as instructed. Less than 10 years after this collision, I was in the USN and served on a destroyer out of San Diego, and flew into and out of San Diego several times when taking leave. Lindbergh (or San Diego International) is an interesting airport, perched on the edge of the bay near downtown and the ocean, in busy airspace shared by private, commercial, and military aircraft - North Island NAS and Miramar NAS notably. Airspace is often congested. Sorry to all the victims and their families for this tragedy. Their deaths were not in vain as such developments such as TCAS and improved communication resulted, making air travelers much safer today.

[@AtheAetheling]

It's weird you say that because I hadn't heard of this before but I experienced an irrational hatred and desire to blame the Cessna as I watched the video. I know it's not fair or correct but it is where my head went.

[@johansoderberg9579]

How could the tower avoid to abort the landing?! And why? To save time and capacity?! Avoid delay?!

[@Aliceintraining]

@@AtheAetheling the cessna was doing everything correctly and is fully innocent. they where locked into their approach as guided by the tower and ils. the carrier flight and the tower both are at fault, both had ample time and opportunity to avoid the collision. they chose not to take responsibility. thats why the crash happened. all ether party had to do is call a go around (pilots when they lost visual contact, tower when they got the proxi alert) and the whole thing would have been avoided.

[@Aliceintraining]

@@johansoderberg9579 lack of responablity. all they had to do is for ether the tower or the carrier plane. both partys ignored the danger and it caused them the lifes. when the pilots joked about losing sight of the cessna, that is the worst thing they could do, the most important thing is to scan and then go around and avoid. the tower avoiding the proxi alarm and not calling for a go around also is a large factor. zero reason for that carrier to have continued on that path.

[@aceckrot]

@@Aliceintraining , in at least one of the documentaries I saw (I think it was an episode of "Air Disasters" on the Discovery channel here in the U. S.), investigators found that the Cessna was sightly off course. Had it remained on its assigned heading, the crash would not have occurred. So while the PSA crew and ATC were more culpable, the Cessna was not doing "everything" correctly.

[@1JamesMayToGoPlease]

I'll bet the residents of that neighborhood suffered severe PTSD. Great job as usual, FH. Peace, and stay safe.

[@susiearviso3032]

Or trauma.

[@lalalaube]

You’re exactly right. My parents lived in North Park (the area of SD this happened in) & my mom was 20 when it happened. She was terrified of flying my entire life until very recently when she sought help. She can fly now, although it’s still not her favorite pastime. This accident & its immediate aftermath had a huge impact on her.

[@andyjay729]

@@lalalaube I saw one story online saying that even talking about the disaster became taboo in North Park for several years. I myself used to live about a mile from where it happened (over 30 years later, but still).

[@jaleach123]

I've read more than my fair share of stories about airline crashes and PSA 182 is without a doubt the worst crash I've ever heard about. Some years ago there used to be a local publication online with hundreds and hundreds of comments from people who witnessed the crash and more than a few who went to the scene to help. Many remarked on the smell of jet fuel that hung like a pall over the scene and could be smelled blocks and blocks away. The recovery effort was hampered by the extreme heat of the day and one commenter said that his father worked the scene as an FAA employee and they bagged over 10,000 body parts. What apparently happened is that when the plane hit the ground the fuselage basically opened up like a tuna can and spewed people and body parts all over the place. They found people on roofs, in trees, and inside of homes (one still strapped in a chair). The impact was so catastrophic that they actually never found a trace of the First Officer as apparently he literally disintegrated upon on impact. The story that sticks with me the most is the accounts of a victim people referred to as Superman, a guy who was ejected from the plane and flew straight up a side street and died when he hit the back of a parked car. People weighed in to say that it actually happened because they saw him flying right up the street and he screamed all the way to the impact of the car. Someone said he sounded like a cat his screams were so high pitched. I wished I'd screen capped the site because it just disappeared at some point. Anyway, my mind always goes to this incident when I hear about any type of aircraft accident. It's truly horrific.

[@BarbatoSpeedFactory]

Damn.

[@madamebkrt]

That'll keep me up at night. That "Superman" story is absolutely horrific. I don't even want to begin to imagine what that must have been like for the victim, considering seeing that as a witness would be unspeakably traumatic. EDIT: Upon further reflection I'm inclined to believe it isn't true, but regardless the thought of it is still horrendous.

[@loplins]

Whenever I hear this story, I hope that it was just a tall tale. The footage is horrible enough.

[@adamcoe]

Really have a hard time believing they heard a guy screaming over a PLANE CRASHING. Perhaps the engines winding down, or screeching metal or whatever but I cannot possibly believe you'd be able to hear a dude yelling while a plane is actively crashing a block away. I call shenanigans

[@violetzebras]

I just wanted to say I know exactly what local newspaper site you are talking about. I think it was SignOnSanDiego. About 10 years ago I fell down the PSA182 rabbit hole and spent hours reading the whole thing. The accounts from people who were there are so fascinating. I had it bookmarked, but like you said it disappeared awhile ago. Maybe I’ll try looking for it on the Internet Archive. That kind of began my morbid curiosity about flights that crash into neighborhoods; PSA182, Aeromexico 498, PanAm 759, etc.

[@JenG-se5jh]

Thank you so much for documenting this tragedy. My Dad was on the San Diego police force at the time of the crash. He had to guard St. Augustine’s hall which was set up as a temporary morgue for the crash victims. He had told me about what he witnessed only once when I was a teenager. He had told me how they had to bring the bodies in on refrigerated trucks and how he helped to unload them. The smell of death and jet fuel is something he will never forget. He has not talked about the event since then even after seeking therapy and it being so many years. May all those who perished Rest In Peace. My heart goes out to all of those affected by this horrible tragedy.

[@TheZackofSpades]

I respect so much the optimistic tone our Narrator imparts on the conclusions to these tragic vignettes.

[@SupremeInvigilator]

Nice handle

[@TheZackofSpades]

@@SupremeInvigilator thanks fam

[@Earthneedsado-over177]

He is optimistic that we can learn from mistakes. I am just worried that there are mistakes we can make that are so huge that Humanity could never recover. Fill in the blank as to what those mistakes might be.

[@buckwyldefox]

This story and the Tenerife Airport Disaster you did a story on 3 months ago hits close to home. A relative of mine, Jack Ridout, actually was one of the survivors on the Pan Am flight in Tenerife in 1977. In 1978, he was supposed to be on this flight. He was staying at a friend's house but decided to head back home a day earlier and rebook his flight because his friends air conditioner wasn't working. After this, he learned to fly himself. I suppose he felt if he had to fly, he could only trust doing it himself. Both of these stories were very informative and well done. I honestly didn't know much about this disaster until this video.

[@tiadaid]

I read about this. If I were in his shoes, I'd probably be horribly affected.

[@Ugly_on_the_Inside]

Thank you for sharing! There is another post (above) from "Sedd" referencing your relative Jack. Such a small world. Until now, I too had never known much about this crash. Mr Ridout is one lucky man. So crazy how much life can change in the blink of an eye, one seemingly insignificant decision. I hope the rest of Jack's days following this event were/are lived to the very fullest.

[@RoccosVideos]

It’s unfortunate that such a small misunderstanding can lead to disaster.

[@katiesays]

Which is basically every video on this channel. Crazy.

[@EstorilEm]

It’s extremely explicit in the FAA FARs - maintaining visual separation is the job of the pilot or crew who acknowledges the ATC call. It’s one thing to say “looking” - but once they acknowledged the traffic, it is EXPLICITLY their job to maintain separation from the traffic.

[@chatteyj]

@@EstorilEm Difficult to maintain visual separation when a plane is behind you isn't it?

[@jonathandpg6115]

@@chatteyj except that if you no longer see it you need to clearly tell the atc that you are no longer able to do visual separation.

[@vladimirenlow4388]

@@EstorilEm Right... it was more than a "small misunderstanding". Adherence to protocol should have compensated for any ambiguity in the transmission.

[@Sulfuron41]

My Grandpa was a San Diego Police Officer (or something like that I was very young when he told this story) when this incident took place. He had to secure the area with his colleagues, help with evacuating civilians at the site of the crash, coordinate with the other emergency services and so forth. He told me it was the absolute worst scene he had ever witnessed in his life. He told my siblings and I that the plane had been completely destroyed, and that not much was recognizable. He then said while he was securing the area, he caught a man rushing to and fro with a bucket, bending down repeatedly to pick up things and place them in the bucket. He and his partner caught the man, who turned out to be a looter. In the bucket were arms and fingers that had rings and watches still attached. After that, he couldn't tell any more because he would get too emotional. That story burned itself into my 8 year old mind =S

[@TheGryfonclaw]

I unfortunately found and listened to the actual recording. His final words were heart wrenching. Thinking about this flight always brings tears to my eyes, even though it happened before I was born and I knew none of the victim’s relatives.

[@v-town1980]

Even though? It's sad regardless. Why even mention it was before you were born?

[@StoutShako]

@@v-town1980 Chill. It's OP's way of acknowledging that they had no personal tie to the event but were touched all the same. If we didn't think tragedies that happened before our time didn't matter, we wouldn't have the Holocaust Museum.

[@opwave79]

Yeah I listened to the cvr too. Very tragic.

[@crazyleyland5106]

I wouldn't want to hear an actual recording of people who were going to die. Transcripts or the dialogue shown on the screen are OK.

[@laurenpark67]

this video is very informative about the crash. The fact that the Cessna also veered from its assigned course by 20 degrees contributing to the crash was left out. My father worked for PSA as an aircraft mechanic and he was devastated, looking empty and lost for weeks after the crash. It was a sad day in the history of San Diego California.

[@Blublayze]

I appreciate this channel since it covers a lot of lesser-known disasters, but just a small clarification on this one. The way you frame it sounds like the controller should've been babysitting the PSA Jet more "In absence of further guidance", the reality is the captain overruled the crew when they had a discussion/argument about where the Cessna was and how to proceed. Additionally right before the crash, the first officer suddenly commented, “There’s one underneath.” The crew/captain are responsible for their aircraft and all lives on-board and by not seeking additional clarification were the primary fault here. Additionally another rule was implemented prohibiting commercial pilots from having off-topic conversations when below 10,000 feet which was spurred on by this accident. Keep up the good work!

[@Hochmann2]

One of the things that makes me like the videos on this channel is the respect shown towards the victims. Very well done.

[@cyberleaderandy1]

The effect this had on the community sounds very similar to the Lockerbie disaster. May all those affected by both crashes rest in peace.

[@ingridfong-daley5899]

It even looks like Lockerbie from the ground footage

[@cardiffwilly]

Was Lockerbie a terrorist attack? Would be interested in seeing it covered on this channel.

[@ravismcromarty5600]

@@cardiffwilly Yes it was. There was a suitcase bomb that was timed to go off when the plane was over the Atlantic ocean but due to a delayed take off the bomb detonated when the plane was above the town of Lockerbie. The flight was Pan Am 103.

[@jennyrebecca7243]

Lockerbie was almost 100% children. Far worse in my opinion. Seeing a traumatized dead body is awful but it rained children down on those people and the residents of that town moved, committed suicide etc. neither are good but lockerbie will always be a truly horrifying event.

[@kimmer6]

I flew on Pan Clipper Maid of the Seas several years before the disaster. Heathrow to JFK. They had tubular headsets that plugged into the armrests. The track I listened to for hours had ''Music Box Dancer'' which became my favorite. I was asleep with my head in the window on the left side of the plane ahead of the engines. Great view. When the song woke me up, I saw the most beautiful clouds below over the Atlantic that were orange and purple from the late afternoon light. I took several pictures of it. This might be a glimpse of Heaven, I thought. On the same roll of 35mm film was the gigantic nose of the 747 filling the window at the gate in London. I took several pictures. That was an old gate made for much smaller old aircraft and I was looking up at the nose. It was huge. I was torn up seeing the right side of the nose laying on the ground in Lockerbie on the news. That was the side I photographed. Music Boxer brings tears to my eyes and is forever connected to The Maid of the Seas.

[@projectnightingale6595]

I saw a documentary about this accident. A resident told that he saw some passenger behind the windows before it crashed. Never forget how he told that. He sounds like he were broken.

[@elliottprice6084]

The photos of flight 182 just before the crash are some of the most haunting photos ever taken. RIP to all those who lost their lives

[@MichaelD8393]

Hans Wendt of the San Diego County Public Relations Office is who snapped those photos. He was attending an outdoor press event a few blocks from the crash site with cameraman Steve Howell of San Diego's TV channel 39 (now KNSD.) Howell filmed the Cessna falling to the ground, along with the sound of the 727 hitting the ground & the post-crash fire.

[@RoccosVideos]

Having a student practice at a busy airport with one lane seems a bit irresponsible.

[@matty6848]

Yes I thought the same. Accident waiting to happen..

[@Alybuscus]

As well as having him essentially blindfolded during that busy time.

[@daisiesforghosts]

I thought the same thing

[@damonroberts7372]

I couldn't believe what I was hearing. Just... WTF.

[@reachandler3655]

I fully agree

[@mountainman4987]

I was living in Downey at the time the aeromexico plane crashed in Cerritos. It was very similar to this. I was with my teenage friends riding our bikes on the San Gabriel River bed when we heard a strange noise in the sky and seen a plane falling to the earth. It hit a neighborhood in Cerritos California. Which was about a mile away from our location. We rode our bikes to the area and seen utter devastation from a distance. I'll never forget it and I still have nightmares about what I seen that day as a 13 year old kid. RIP to the ones killed that day.

[@leezurligen227]

Saw, saw, saw.

[@mountainman4987]

@@leezurligen227 seen seen seen

[@leezurligen227]

@@mountainman4987 English, English, English

[@mountainman4987]

@@leezurligen227 Grammer nazi, Grammer nazi, Grammer nazi!

[@leezurligen227]

@@mountainman4987 Grammar, Grammar, Grammar

[@aesthetic_yatsura]

I actually live just a few miles away from where it crashed. I remember in that Faces of Death movie from 1978, they featured video footage from the crash in gory detail. What's crazier is that I analyzed lots of the footage and was able to pinpoint out exactly where bodies landed, what homes were destroyed, etc. The location has long been fixed and all, but every time I brought somebody over to the crash site for a scary tour, I'd be able to pinpoint exactly where there was a dead body, which homes got wrecked, you know Also, I had a professor at college whose husband used to work in the police force in the late 70s to late 90s, and she said that literally the first day on his job was that day and he was called to go there. Imagine, first day on the job and you're assigned to attend a plane accident that looked like hell. He nearly quit after that day, but figured that he just saw the worst of it and nothing will top it so far, so he stayed in the service. Brave man

[@larryblanks6765]

My father worked for PSA until USAIR took over. My father was supposed to be on flight 182 coming home on a flight from columbia but didn't tell us he stayed in Columbia for another day. Glad he stayed.

[@thedolphin5428]

I love your narration. Slow and carefully enunciated, no dramatic, faux-emotional bullshit, logical. BEST ON THE WEB!

[@cHVF]

I have heard many versions of this story. Your manner of presenting relevant detail and keeping me engaged and empathetic without disrespecting the victims is above any other youtube production. Thank you -

[@pooryorick831]

This accident has haunted me for almost 45 years now. I remember it like yesterday. I will never forget it, much as I'd like to. It was an awful day.

[@melted_cheetah]

Suprised you didn't mention the how gruesome the after math was with the remains of the passengers throw all over the place. If I recall there was a body in a tree, on a roof, and against houses, body parts all around. Pretty chilling.

[@Newta005]

Don’t know if you’ve done Air France 447 Rio to Paris (2009), but that is far and wide considered one of the most terrifying/horrific crashes. Like the Challenger escape pod, it fell vertically down out of the sky for over two minutes. Just f’in imagine!

[@SonicKoolaid]

That one and TWA Flight 800 (which the film Final destination was based off) are the most terrifying crashes in history

[@declannewton2556]

How about the Uberlingen disater. Another midair collision in which one plane was cut in two by the vertical stabilizer of another. The resulting decompression sucked many of the passengers outside the plane. Imagine, falling from 35,000ft at night to your death.

[@MicrowavedAlastair5390]

There was no escape system on the Shuttle Transit System, but otherwise, you're correct. The Challenger was basically torn apart by the force of the sudden deceleration, but the crew cabin was stronger than the rest of the shuttle and survived the breakup. I believe the exact figure is somewhere around 20 g. The lack of an escape system was one of those things that was scrutinized in the investigation, but it was determined that an escape system for the shuttle wasn't feasible.

[@Newta005]

@@MicrowavedAlastair5390 crew cabin=escape pod, in which at at least three crew survived in until it hit the water.

[@Dherkin_McGhurken]

Another good airplane horror story is the 1988 "Aloha Airlines flight 243", thankfully the casualties were extremely limited with only 1 death. Which considering the roof and the sides of the plane blew off mid-flight is a full on miracle. Less of a full on "everyone died" horror and more like "we're +3,000ft in the air and the plane just became a convertible" horror. Even had a tv movie made about it at the time.

[@ydoomenaud]

The news made much of the stewardess who being the only one not seated and therefore not belted was instantly sucked out of the plane; before the TV-movie aired, the producers publicly announced that out of respect for her and her grieving survivors it would not depict that moment, instead having passengers acknowledge her disappearance afterwards. Had it been a theatrical release instead, it's almost guaranteed movie producers would have not only shot it but probably teased it in trailers.

[@madamebkrt]

Jesus, that's terrifying. I hope FH covers this one.

[@madamebkrt]

@@ydoomenaud That's very respectful of them, and sadly you're spot on with what would have been done were the film a theatrical release. No empathy.

[@Fleetwing1627]

The incident also lead to improvements in detecting fatigue in metal fuselages.

[@richardmillhousenixon]

@@ydoomenaud She wasn't the only one not seated and definitely not the only one not belted in. There was another stewardess just a few feet away from the unlucky one when the breach occurred, she was just lucky enough to have been bending over slightly to talk to a passenger and therefore presented a smaller target to the rushing wind that sucked the other stewardess out

[@IntrepidFraidyCat]

I've known about this crash for years. That pilot saying "I love you" to his mother has haunted me.

[@machloop5229]

Ditto

[@dew9103]

This is a complicated crash. Much more so than aeromexico 498. p.s. The captain is not clear to the tower that he had lost sight of the cessna. Had he said something like "Tower, PSA 182 we lost sight of the cessna" then the collision may have been avoided

[@dwlopez57]

They thought they had already passed it.

[@dew9103]

@@dwlopez57 Yea but they didn't so...

[@dwlopez57]

@@dew9103 they should have kept looking until they verified that they had passed it. You're right one little radio call...

[@destroyer1187]

Something of a pattern on this channel: assuming. Someone assumes something is okay, or an automated alarm means nothing. You know what happens when you assume? 130 people die and a roller coaster car smashes into a stalled one.

[@scottwrite633]

That is a very good point!

[@windsofmarchjourneyperrytr2823]

The one I dislike most was where the yellow one slammed into a concrete pole

[@HEDGE1011]

I’ve been an airline pilot for over 30 years now and still fly in and out of SAN on a very regular basis; this accident is one of the few that still haunts me. I’m so sorry for all the victims of this accident, but I’m profoundly grateful that you (and your compatriots on the Aeromexico DC-9 at LAX) were the impetus that gave us TCAS. RIP, PSA 182.

[@fumblebunny1993]

No doubt that TCAS has saved lives since its inception

[@Cecily-Pimprenelle]

That conversation in the cockpit where they are all Uncertain... Yikes.

[@Brianna771]

I’ve watched a lot of the series Mayday: Air Disaster and if you’re interested in learning more on this case or other plane accidents, I would highly recommend the show.

[@NoArtisticLimitation]

Yeah that’s where I heard of this first, too

[@Markus_Andrew]

Yes indeed, that is an excellent series and it has only gotten better over time with improved graphics and recreations. For some reason, here in Australia the show is called "Air Crash Investigation". I don't know why some shows go by different names in different countries. Especially in this case, since "Mayday" is an internationally recognised distress call.

[@linfun1]

Love “Mayday” I actually watched that one before this one.

[@aceckrot]

I would love it if Fascinating Horror would do a second series on Fascinating Close Calls, stories about fascinating near misses that don't end in tragedy.

[@shannont5049]

I love how you guys do your videos in a creepy, unnerving atmosphere, and yet still so respectful of the people involved in and impacted by these tragedies.

[@HenrysHowTos]

Always look forward to these when I get home from work on Tuesday night. Australia time !

[@katiehenderson6436]

Me too!!

[@ChrisRWilcox]

@@katiehenderson6436 me too!

[@kathiecassidy-smith2669]

Same!!! Only the last two weeks we have been insanely busy at work and this week I’m on holiday!!

[@drmagnificentdesigncontrap3377]

Pictured on the front of an aviation safety related textbook I read while studying at uni. One of the reasons 20 years later I still work in safety. Rest in peace all involved. Tragic and horrific.

[@thepinkyprincesspoetc.a.5767]

Love your voice hon as you tell us the stories...Comforting as I curl up in bed at night when I can't sleep to hear you tell us the events that took place in each Facinating Horror... Thank you for all your hard work and research that goes in to making this the Best #1 Channel of mine and many others on #KZbin !

[@cypherbrittainnethegodofsl4988]

RIP for all the passengers and crew on both aircracts and the ground casualties

[@nonconnahordeath]

i just wanna say again how much i love and admire this channel. well-researched and compelling, but also compassionate and respectful, not exploitative in the least. thanks for undertaking what must be a great deal of work, with its own psychological burden to bear, so that we might be engrossed and better-informed.

[@Frenchblue8]

These are all always so well done, well researched, well narrated just beautifully produced. Thank you again.

[@ouijacorn]

On October 11th of this year, a Cessna crashed into a house in my neighborhood (also in San Diego), killing the pilot and a UPS driver who was on the street next to the house; my neighbors and I saw the crash and were on the street when the firefighters arrived. While this video brought back emotions from that week that I thought I had dealt with, it's comforting to hear you discuss this incident so calmly and respectfully.

[@lynnbowers4722]

In 1988 I dated a guy who had witnessed this crash as a teenager. He was in therapy for what we would now recognize as PTSD. He told me the horror of seeing body parts all over the ground. It really messed him up.

[@skywalkerchick]

I think I remember seeing a full length documentary on this incident; if I recall correctly, a woman on the ground lost her entire family except for her eldest son because they were the only ones not at home when the plane crashed on top of their neighborhood

[@metsarada9787]

That was a different, but very similar incident - a midair collision between an Aeromexico DC-9 and a small private Piper Cherokee over Los Angeles, in 1986. It too involved the deaths of everyone on board the two planes, as well as multiple people on the ground in a residential neighbourhood. Very tragic.

[@noy2866]

that was the aeromexico incident, not this one

[@ajh6354]

The last words that are most often heard from dying soldiers in combat. Mother, mom, ma, and momma.

[@ToniMortenson]

And typically your first words as an infant is mama.

[@eadecamp]

My brother was in basic training in San Diego and saw the planes go down. A pilot friend of mine said that San Diego is one of the most difficult airports to land at because you come over a wide mountain range with houses nestled up close to it and then make a sudden drop to get to the runway.

[@nataliegiles2554]

Yeah and it's only a few kilometers away from the tallest buildings of downtown SD. I'm pretty sure some pilots/ airlines refuse to land there

[@chatteyj]

@@nataliegiles2554 You'd think with such a major city like that and they would have built a new out of town airport by now.

[@ceejayrox23]

@@chatteyj No place to build. The citizens would love it if Miramar would sell to the city. Else they are looking at near the border by Tijuana or way out east of the city.

[@sickgurl138]

It goes right over the freeway...pretty cool to drive by

[@PrezVeto]

@@chatteyj Unfortunately the voters of the county rejected the relocation project after the dumb site selection committee picked land that the military said they weren't willing to share. Extremely frustrating. Literally the only unused land within reasonable distance of the center of the city that could be flattened for, and fit, an airport is owned by the military, so they should've been working on that through the county's members of Congress before they picked a final site and went for broke. (Surprise, they went broke.)

[@MrArgus11111]

This accident is in another air accidents channel and it had a lot of people screaming that hoods should no longer be used for IFR tests... when real pilots asked for an alternative.. they had none except "simulators". The hoods stay and weren't the problem. The tower and the instructor, to a much smaller extent, were the problem.

[@johngreydanus2033]

CRASH, they call them CRASHES, not accident, which implies no one is at fault

[@Kenzamaka]

The hoods don't seem like a problem unless you like, can't remove them by yourself. Don't have enough details to form a coherent opinion.

[@MrArgus11111]

@@Kenzamaka do you know what an IFR hood looks like? it's not a latex bondage mask... you can... you know... just take it off. Sorry, I'm not trying to be rude or anything, but really... do you think we train pilots to use their instruments in bad weather with a device they can't remove? We aren't uh.. to use a recent... thing.. people know.. Harkonnen.

[@Kenzamaka]

@@MrArgus11111 Then in that case it's not a problem. And for the record no, I did not know what they looked like. Some people don't know everything about everything. Thanks for the education.

[@MrArgus11111]

@@Kenzamaka I can barely cook decent macaroni and I know a person that cooked the rice before trying to dry her cell phone out in it. I wasn't trying to insult you. Maybe "hood" should be changed to "instrument flight rating training device" IFRTD.... or something. That would spook people less.

[@bobcoleman9045]

This is a really good story to tell and I've heard it a hundred times already here on KZbin. However that did not stop me from listing to your way of doing it! Keep up the good work man I love your channel!

[@secretivesomebody]

Yep need my fix on a Tuesday- your consistency is everything! I look forward to the video and appreciate your effort.

[@pvanpelt1]

PSA was part of my childhood. When I was little, we lived in Sacramento and my grandparents lived near Long Beach. My mother and I used to visit them every year and we’d go to Disneyland. We always flew PSA. They were the smiling planes-there was a smile painted on underneath the nose (just a simple black line, no teeth or anything creepy), and it always looked like the planes were happy to see their passengers. I hadn’t realized they lost so many crewmembers on that flight. So tragic for everyone involved. TCAS has saved countless lives since then.

[@bluegreenglue6565]

After moving to San Diego to begin college, I was told by a local that they remember the swarm of people that descended upon the crash site to loot the luggage and other wreckage. Pulling jewelry off of bodies, taking wallets. If true, I'm still horrified at the thought. When bad things happen, there's always a way to make them worse...

[@momstah]

I was at the elementary school just down the street and I remember this kid in my class who brought stuff he "found" to show off. Ten year old... ugh.

[@Panda-cute]

@@momstah that’s disgusting :( people can be great in disasters but also so so terrible

[@joewells3330]

I lived in North Park, the neighborhood it crashed in, for 5 years. I had no clue until about 3 years into living there that the plane had crashed right where I was living…and I only found out because they were trying to put a memorial across the street. Honestly it felt like the area was cursed…I had a home break in, car was totaled on the street, and also someone knocked my mirror off. I couldn’t wait to leave

[@rickm6076]

My dad worked for the NTSB at the time. One of his jobs was to figure the foot pounds of energy of the impact, and then convert that to psi. Impacted with something like 15psi equivalent force. That way more than enough to cause instant death and shatter bone. So. There’s that.

[@jimdieseldawg3435]

How you maintain this standard in your posts is beyond me, but long may it continue. Excellent work, sir.

[@janeene24]

“Ma, I love you” broke my heart. 😔 Rip to all who lost their lives in this avoidable tragedy. 💔

[@FlorSilvestre12]

When I was maybe nine years old I had a very vivid nightmare about a plane crashing into my cousins' house while I was visiting. Ever since then I've gotten scared whenever I hear a plane passing overhead, and I always say a prayer asking for protection. I can't imagine what it would be like to try to move forward after having actually experienced that nightmare rather than just dreamed it.

[@Truckngirl]

I remember that day. I lived in Los Angeles and the news covered it extensively. A few years later, LAX got their own midair collision Aeromexico 498.

[@steveh5307]

About 25 years ago when I was in middle school, we were all hanging out in a friend's basement and he brought out a video tape and this was one of the segments. It was a documentary series and had multiple footages of people dying. I know what it's called, it's burned into my memory, but I won't say it. I saw bodies in the trees, yards, crashed through the roof of a house and inside the house, etc. It was horrible.

[@littleferrhis]

So CFI here, a few things of note, this kind of accident isn’t really likely to happen again. Along with TCAS mentioned here, there are tools like ADSB which is now required for all aircraft in controlled airspace, which while it doesn’t exactly work the same as TCAS when using ADSB in(which isn’t required, but if you have ADSB out you usually end up getting ADSB in). They allow you to see where all aircraft are digitally, making it much easier to see and avoid other aircraft. Its highly likely that this accident wouldn’t have happened today. It should be noted too, that while the guy flying was technically a student, he was also a licensed pilot. Pilots are initially trained in visual flight rules(aka flying just by references to outside), and then after they complete their initial training they can choose to go after an instrument rating which allows them to legally fly in the clouds. Instrument training ‘under the hood’ is required to have two pilots, one flying and one safety pilot, which can be anyone from a flight instructor to a private pilot the same as the student. The instructor in this case not only teaches, but is responsible for watching out for other aircraft. Also yes, small aircraft fly into big aircrafts airspace, like all the time. In fact a lot of flight schools are based out of these larger airports. Especially for pilots who are looking to go to the airlines this kind of training is super helpful (In fact I flew into CLT(American Airlines big hub) and Memphis(Fedex’s big hub) it’s really cool sitting in front of a plane 10 times your size waiting to go), but it is important to be extra vigilant while doing so since ATC is used to fast jets, not slow cessnas. Though honestly I’d say a busy smaller untowered airports have greater risk involved than flying into the bigger airport. Landing at untowered airports is a lot more akin to driving in rush hour traffic depending on where and what time you go, but you get to listen to the guy tell you they are cutting you off...most of the time(legally they don’t even have to make any radio calls). Still one of my least favorite parts of flying, but generally still very safe.

[@underground_miami]

Great comment and info 👍👍

[@AtlasNL]

It would be interesting to see you cover the Bijlmer Disaster/The crash of El Al Flight 1862 Keep up the good work! These videos are incredibly interesting!

[@StoutShako]

1862? They had planes during the Civil War? Or was that just a typo? **EDIT** I'm a dumbass. That was the flight number, not the year number. 😂😂😂

[@thomasloveless4800]

I think they used that plane at Gettysburg.

[@UraTrowelie]

I could really go for some hour long stories from fascinating horror.

[@Charlie-yv3ib]

I really appreciate that you include captions on these. Thank you!

[@SaweetDude]

I currently fly a 727 freighter. It’s such a wonderful plane to fly. They are few and far between. This accident has always been very haunting to me. Thankfully we have updates to the plane since then which give us much more situational awareness to other aircraft nearby, but still always watching

[@ceejayrox23]

Your comment is comforting to read.

[@Anonymousaggro]

You're very lucky that you still get to fly in the 727 in some capacity.

[@SaweetDude]

@@Anonymousaggro When it’s heavy it flys like an absolute dream, when it’s light it’s a rush. Especially with the -217 pod engines

[@petertraina]

Once again, you have captured the story in all its horror, in a remarkably well thought out and provocative style. Keep doing what you’re doing, please!

[@jasper3042]

Something that always surprises me is when equipment has some sort of safety alarm installed, and yet it produces false alarms with such regularity that it winds up being ignored in an actual emergency. It could have saved them here, yet it was turned off because ATC thought they saw the smaller plane. So, so sad.

[@aceckrot]

I just read the NTSB report on this collision and was surprised to read that "The San Diego Approach Control's conflict alert system was commissioned August 7, 1978. Since that time the facility has experienced an average of 13 conflict alerts per day. Some of these were nuisance alerts; however, it is not clear what percentage of these alerts were nuisance alerts." NTSB-AAR-79-5

[@Zack-ey9gr]

It’s not every day I see a non-aviation channel get everything right, from terminology to procedures used in aircraft. My hat is off to you for doing all the research properly and conveying it in a way that makes sense to the average listener. Also, when I worked as a flight instructor I did indeed use this crash as an example to my students, especially when giving them lessons on the TCAS systems. Well done.

[@samstone2425]

My uncle lived on the street where a massive amount of plane debris landed. He saw bodies and body parts. Every year they hold a small memorial service on that street, the same street I grew up on. Happened before my time by about 13 years but I lived on that street until I was 18 and left flowers on the corner every year once I was old enough to understand the true horror of the incident. Very harrowing stuff.

[@someonespadre]

I started a job in Sacramento in 2000. I had coworkers that had friends on that flight that were flying to San Diego for the work week.

[@DodgeChargerPursuit]

My Brother was born on this day. My parents saw the accident from Mercy Hospital. The plane crashed two blocks from our house in North Park.

[@essiebessie661]

My Dad was flying then for a different airline. All airline crews grieved especially because of all the employees on board. Many were known to other crews.

[@matthewromero1422]

Good video man been waiting for it keep it up

[@doubletake2448]

I was a student at San Diego State University that day. I was in the school library when I heard a muffled boom. I didn't think much of it at the time but then other students started talking about a plane crash in North Park. I looked out a west facing window and saw a plume of dense smoke rising in the distance. I can see it in my mind just clear today as back then. Just so tragic.

[@robbflynn4325]

Flew in and out of San Diego in 2011. Very busy airport, and with just the one runway. Incredulous how a small plane like that is allowed to do practice stuff when there are so many other smaller airports in the area that would offer a safer environment. RIP to those who perished.

[@ChrisRWilcox]

Agreed and was thinking the same as I was watching

[@weirdofromhalo]

Because pilots also need to know how to fly at airports with lots of traffic. Also, it was the only airport in the region with ILS.

[@robbflynn4325]

@@weirdofromhalo that's fair enough for the actual landings and take offs but for other stuff including hood work training it's a good idea to stay well clear of the active runway and not pass directly in front of jets coming in to land. There is a hell of a lot of airspace outside the TCA for that.

[@weirdofromhalo]

@@robbflynn4325 These were landings and takeoffs. ILS training, that's whay the hood was for.

[@robbflynn4325]

@@weirdofromhalo he was not landing or taking off at the time of the accident. He was flying ACROSS the path of an active runway! That is my point. Maybe read my comments again.

[@flash_flood_area]

I appreciate that this channel doesn't just wallow in the tragic aspects of an event, but that it follows up with how the tragedy inspired changes to prevent future occurrences. Love your voice and delivery, too. 👍

[@Victoria-qb6cc]

I’ve heard stories of a flying man at the time of this crash. Apparently the man was ejected from his seat moments before the plane crash and he “flew” straight into the windshield of a car. People could see him and hear him screaming as he “flew” past them. Apparently Amazon Prime has a movie that shows a photo of this man as well as an interview with the person that took the photograph.

[@richardmillhousenixon]

The cabin remained intact until impact, there is no possible way that that man was ejected before impact, and therefore the possibility of him being alive before impacting the windshield of said car is infinitesimally small.

[@richardmillhousenixon]

And the movie you are probably talking about is "Faces of Death." Do not watch that movie, it is way past NSFW and is 100% NSFL.

[@flankerroad7414]

I think the plane impacted the ground in a slight turning motion which meant the man was ejected when his side of the plane broke open first. I've heard him called the Screaming Superman. Poor soul.

[@SeanSlavin1974]

@@richardmillhousenixon From a web search on PSA 182 superman photo. This is real and the man's name was apparently Bill Maggee. Superman Photo PSA 182 The “Screaming Superman” photo refers to a famous image taken by Hans Wendt, a staff photographer for the San Diego County Public Relations Office, on September 25, 1978. The photo captures the final moments of Pacific Southwest Airlines (PSA) Flight 182, a Boeing 727-214, as it crashed into a residential neighborhood in North Park, San Diego, killing all 135 people on board and 7 on the ground. The photo shows a passenger, later identified as a man named Bill Maggee, who was reportedly flying through the air, arms outstretched and legs splayed, in a pose reminiscent of Superman, as he let out a high-pitched scream. Witnesses described the scene as surreal and terrifying. The “Screaming Superman” photo has become an iconic representation of the devastating crash, which was caused by a mid-air collision with a private Cessna 172. The image has been widely circulated and has been featured in various documentaries, books, and articles about aviation disasters. It’s worth noting that there is no single, definitive “Superman” photo, as multiple photos and videos were taken of the crash scene. However, Hans Wendt’s photo is widely regarded as the most famous and enduring representation of the event.

[@blackhawks81H]

There were multiple chilling radio transmissions from PSA 182 in addition to the "love you ma" ... The captain radioed to the tower.. Full well knowing he was doomed... "Tower, we're going down"... And then 5 seconds later he radioed again... "This is it baby!" The this is it comment being especially crazy to hear... Because you can just hear it in his voice.. He knows he's got only a couple seconds to live.. And he says it with this.. Weird, almost excitement in his voice. Like he'd already come to terms with what was happening.. And he was gonna ride this firey bastard into the ground as hard as he could.. It seriously sounds like a cowboy attitude almost.. I've always really just been in awe and had a ton of respect for the bravery of thst captain. Most would be screaming in that situation out of pure fear.. And he's pretty much doing everything short of yelling "yeeee-haw" like the dude from Dr Strangelove who rides the bomb down from the plane. RIP to everyone involved. It's a rough way to go, but at least it's over in an instant.. As a firefighter/paramedic, I've responded to a number of plane crashes over the years... Thankfully very very few of them have been bigger planes with a lot of people on them. The one thing I'll never forget is that smell. That nasty sick sweet jet fuel smell. It just gets everywhere and is on everything.. And takes forever to get out of your gear afterwards.

[@anacsadder]

One would think that if an air traffic controller heard the proximity alarm, they'd at least check back in with, "Hey, are you SURE you're staying far enough away from the other plane?" Did the alarm frequently go off for no reason?

[@reachandler3655]

Good question!

[@YeahNo]

You would be horrified to learn just how often safety alarms are dismissed without further thought, especially in the air industry. A number of crashes happened because pilots knowingly disabled safety alarms that they thought were too annoying, by simply pulling a fuse.

[@christopherweise438]

anacsadder - The controller was told by the 727 that they had them is sight. It's a busy airspace and they don't always "double check" to make sure. They followed the chain of protocol.....at least at the time of the incident. Now days transmissions are requested to be read back verbatim if not clear. Not in 1978 though. It also used to be that the captain was solely in charge, but a number of incidents changed that so that CRM (crew resource management) means all hands in the cockpit work together to sort out problems instead of relying on just the captain.

[@EstorilEm]

Lol that’s not how people talk on radios. They did verify visual separation and even informed the Cessna- the issue was that PSA acknowledged even though they had lost visual contact with the Cessna. That’s not on the controllers at all, and if they had to double and triple check with aircraft that already said they had the traffic in sight, absolutely nothing would get done and the radios would be nonstop “verify you STILL have contact with traffic and will maintain separation” 😂 - that’s just not how it works. Everyone has jobs to do up there - of you don’t do them, it’s not difficult to get yourself killed. 😕

[@ezrea9313]

I looked into it and YES that particular ATC's system gave frequent false proximity alarms

[@grapeshot]

Yeah always remember that haunting photo of that plane streaking to the ground like a asteroid.

[@sambarker7930]

Amazing that 18 months after Tenerife there was still ambiguous communication between aircraft and ATC

[@theother1406]

I was going to Pacific Beach Junior high school when a kid was running yelling, "A plane crashed!, a plane crashed!" 20 years later, I'm living at 3345 Dwight street, an odd building that used to be a fire house then a market, now apartments. In 1999, my baby learning to walk, I decided around sundown we could take a little walk to that little market near Nile. She's giggly and enjoying the walk when suddenly she let out a blood curdling scream of "NO! NO! NO!" shielding her face and shaking. I picked her up, kept asking her what's wrong? We went to that little store and I realized what she'd seen. We went back home the longer way up. She saw it all.

[@kristinhernandez4557]

My husband wanted to take that flight, but I had a bad feeling and convinced him to go the day before. I've always felt so bad for the souls that died, but grateful my husband lived. We have been married 48 years.

[@heatherstarling1653]

Your videos never cease to fascinate, horrify, and enlighten all at the same time.