Mid-Air Crash of PSA Flight 182 and Its Impacts on US Aviation
Running head: MID-AIR OF PSA FLIGHT 182 OVER SAN DIEGO
Mid-Air of PSA Flight 182 and its Impacts on U.S. Aviation
Lance Paston
Utah Valley University
Abstract
This paper reviews the tragic mid-air crash of PSA flight 182 and Cessna N7711G a Cessna 172 over San Diego and its resulting FAA rules and regulation changes, and their affect on the U.S. aviation industry. PSA Flight 182’s mid-air resulted in the most sweeping FAA changes to airspace to date. The FAA rules and regulation changes was a success in preventing similar mid-airs of this type.
On September 25, 1978, I was a 16-year-old inspiring young pilot going to high school within 10 miles of San Diego’s Lindbergh International Airport. It was about nine a.m. and clear skies when I noticed a large towering black cloud of smoke to the northwest. Minutes later, our High School Teacher informed us that two planes just collided over downtown San Diego. Pacific Southwest Airlines (PSA) flight 182, a Boeing 727-214 carrying 135 passengers collided with a Cessna 172 with two on board crashed 3 miles northeast of Lindbergh field over the San Diego community of North Park. PSA flight 182 originated as a routine regularly scheduled early flight from Sacramento International with 35 PSA employees on board deadheading to San Diego. PSA flight 182 made a brief stop over at Los Angeles International before continuing on to San Diego Lindbergh (NTSB).
PSA flight 182 was on a visual extended right downwind leg for runway 27 entering from Mission Bay (MZB) VORTAC and Cessna N7711G a Cessna 172M with an Instructor and licensed private pilot student practicing ILS approaches to runway 9 at Lindbergh, since Lindbergh was the only airport in the area equipped with an ILS at the time (University of Chicago Press). The Cessna 172 just completed their second ILS approach and departed towards the northeast heading back to their home base of Montgomery Field. PSA flight 182 starting to
Mid-Air of PSA Flight 182 and its Impacts on U.S. Aviation
Lance Paston
Utah Valley University
Abstract
This paper reviews the tragic mid-air crash of PSA flight 182 and Cessna N7711G a Cessna 172 over San Diego and its resulting FAA rules and regulation changes, and their affect on the U.S. aviation industry. PSA Flight 182’s mid-air resulted in the most sweeping FAA changes to airspace to date. The FAA rules and regulation changes was a success in preventing similar mid-airs of this type.
On September 25, 1978, I was a 16-year-old inspiring young pilot going to high school within 10 miles of San Diego’s Lindbergh International Airport. It was about nine a.m. and clear skies when I noticed a large towering black cloud of smoke to the northwest. Minutes later, our High School Teacher informed us that two planes just collided over downtown San Diego. Pacific Southwest Airlines (PSA) flight 182, a Boeing 727-214 carrying 135 passengers collided with a Cessna 172 with two on board crashed 3 miles northeast of Lindbergh field over the San Diego community of North Park. PSA flight 182 originated as a routine regularly scheduled early flight from Sacramento International with 35 PSA employees on board deadheading to San Diego. PSA flight 182 made a brief stop over at Los Angeles International before continuing on to San Diego Lindbergh (NTSB).
PSA flight 182 was on a visual extended right downwind leg for runway 27 entering from Mission Bay (MZB) VORTAC and Cessna N7711G a Cessna 172M with an Instructor and licensed private pilot student practicing ILS approaches to runway 9 at Lindbergh, since Lindbergh was the only airport in the area equipped with an ILS at the time (University of Chicago Press). The Cessna 172 just completed their second ILS approach and departed towards the northeast heading back to their home base of Montgomery Field. PSA flight 182 starting to
References: Macpherson, Malcom: The Black Box: All-New Cockpit Voice Recorder Accounts of in-flight Accidents. New York: William Morrow, 1998 National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) Aircraft Accident Report, Adopted Apr 20, 1979 Super70s.com, Retrieved Oct 1, 2009: http://www.super70s.com/super70s/tech/aviation/disasters/78-09-25(PSA).asp Time, Retrieved Oct 1, 2009: http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,919842-1,00.html University of Chicago Press, Clashes and Aircraft Crashes, Chicago, 1997 Wikipedia, Retrieved Oct 2, 2009: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PSA_Flight_182