Monday marks 45 years since 144 people lost their lives in the Pacific Southwest Airlines Flight 182 crash on September 25, 1978. It is recognized as the deadliest aviation crash in California history.
Lorie James lost her father, Farrell Kimball, on that fateful day. Kimball was one of the passengers on PSA Flight 182.
"To go back to that day, it's like it happened yesterday," James said.
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She was living in El Dorado Hills with her two brothers when she learned that her dad's plane had crashed.
"When you're young, 18 years old, my brother 14, my other brother was 9, I mean your whole world is falling apart," James said.
After a decade of meetings, petitions and discussions, progress toward erecting a permanent monument at the site of the crash is still in limbo.
Kim Whittemore, one of the people who served on the now-shuttered PSA Flight 182 Memorial Committee, tells NBC 7 that one of the main obstacles is the city of San Diego's requirement for liability insurance and a commitment to maintain the plaque and site.
"I am of the opinion that this needs to be a city-led, city-owned, city-implemented and city-maintained project after 45 years. The plaque is ready to install, and we gifted it in 2018. Hopefully, Councilmember Whitburn and Mayor Gloria can and will get this done," Whittemore said in a statement to NBC 7.
James is also hopeful that something can be done to honor the lives of those who died, as well as the first responders who worked around the clock in the wake of the tragedy to recover families' loved ones.
"We do want to have something as a marker, something to give tribute and respect for the 144 people that perished. But again, it's not just for them and for us who lost somebody, it's for the people who cleaned this whole area up; that again took care of the people that we love," James said.
A memorial ceremony is being held Monday morning at 9 a.m. at the corner of Dwight Street and Nile Street in North Park, at the site of the crash.
The memorial will be followed by a wreath-laying ceremony. James said she and Whittemore wrote the names of all 144 victims in chalk on the pavement at the intersection.
A separate event will be held at St. Augustine High School at 8:45 a.m. The unveiling, blessing and groundbreaking of a permanent memorial will be shared with a moment of silence at 9:01 a.m.; the same time the plane crashed into the North Park neighborhood.
