Remembering PSA Flight 182
Sept. 25 Marks 25th Anniversary Of Crash
POSTED: 11:16 am PDT September 25,
2003
UPDATED: 3:04 pm PDT September 25,
2008
SAN DIEGO -- It was quiet in the community of North Park the morning of Sept. 25, 1978. The skies cleared early, it would be a hot day. Children were back in school and their parents off to work. Then, a plane crash shattered the stillness.
Twenty-five years ago PSA Flight 182 collided mid-air with a private plane over North Park and crashed into homes below.
All 137 onboard were killed on impact along with seven people on the ground."I was standing on the curb and heard a big bang. I saw a little plane and big plane coming down, then smoke," North Park resident Catherine Pina said.Professional photographer Hans Wendt witnessed the PSA jet falling from the sky.
"We heard crash in the air, I looked up and saw a PSA plane, got off one shot and the plane disappeared under a canopy in back of us. I ran under the canopy and got a second shot," Wendt said.Two blocks away, a young woman was looking out her bedroom window."I noticed a fireball under the wing. I saw the plane and thought it would land on the 805 [freeway]," North Park resident Lisa Dimeo said.The PSA pilot fought to control the jetliner, but couldn't."When the plane hit, it took off the front of a house. It was chaos. There were police, fire and neighbors everywhere to see what was going on," said Bill Farrar of the San Diego Police Department.The death toll was stunning."There were no injured people, just fire and body parts, laying all over the place," San Diego Fire Engineer Bob Buie said."I ran over to see if I could help. I was overcome with a feeling of helplessness. There was nobody to help," Buie said.
The crash devastated police and firefighters alike."We went back to fire station, sat down and cried in front of each other," former San Diego Fire Chief Robert Osby said."There's little kids without parents, people without families and that's quite devastating and horrific. It's something I'll never, ever forget," Osby said.Many who tried to help that day, PSA employees, and victims' relatives gather at the crash site on Bancroft Street each year to remember the 144 lives lost that day."Sometimes I'll just come alone and walk around. I feel a need to come back and get in touch again," said Ret. SDPD Sgt. Gary Jaus.
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"We heard crash in the air, I looked up and saw a PSA plane, got off one shot and the plane disappeared under a canopy in back of us. I ran under the canopy and got a second shot," Wendt said.Two blocks away, a young woman was looking out her bedroom window."I noticed a fireball under the wing. I saw the plane and thought it would land on the 805 [freeway]," North Park resident Lisa Dimeo said.The PSA pilot fought to control the jetliner, but couldn't."When the plane hit, it took off the front of a house. It was chaos. There were police, fire and neighbors everywhere to see what was going on," said Bill Farrar of the San Diego Police Department.The death toll was stunning."There were no injured people, just fire and body parts, laying all over the place," San Diego Fire Engineer Bob Buie said."I ran over to see if I could help. I was overcome with a feeling of helplessness. There was nobody to help," Buie said.The crash devastated police and firefighters alike."We went back to fire station, sat down and cried in front of each other," former San Diego Fire Chief Robert Osby said."There's little kids without parents, people without families and that's quite devastating and horrific. It's something I'll never, ever forget," Osby said.Many who tried to help that day, PSA employees, and victims' relatives gather at the crash site on Bancroft Street each year to remember the 144 lives lost that day."Sometimes I'll just come alone and walk around. I feel a need to come back and get in touch again," said Ret. SDPD Sgt. Gary Jaus. Copyright 2008 by 10News.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
