On Sept. 25, 1978, 144 people perished in a plane crash in a residential neighborhood of North Park, and now, 46 years later, a memorial plaque finally honors the victims of that tragedy.
San Diego City Councilman Stephen Whitburn dedicated the long-awaited memorial Wednesday at the corner of Dwight and Nile streets, where Pacific Southwest Airlines Flight 182 came down that fateful day.
"For far too long, there has been no memorial to the victims of this tragedy," Whitburn said. "The crash of PSA Flight 182 is a significant event in San Diego's history. This plaque will be a lasting tribute to honor the lives lost, the families affected, and the legacy of safety improvements in aviation that followed."
The flight, a routine trip from Sacramento to San Diego, collided mid-air with a small private plane, causing the crash of both. PSA 182 crashed, killing all 135 aboard and seven on the ground in North Park. The small Cessna 172 plane hit ground on Polk Avenue, killing the two men on board. Nine people on the ground were injured.
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Nearby St. Augustine High School was used for triage and as a morgue for the victims.
It remains the deadliest aviation crash in California history, and was the deadliest to that point in United States history before being surpassed by the American Airlines Flight 191 disaster less than a year later that killed 273 people.
San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria also attended Wednesday's dedication.
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According to Whitburn, the efforts "represent a long-overdue recognition of the significance of this event, not only to the families and friends of the victims but also to the broader San Diego community and aviation industry."
