On This Day

American Airlines DC-10 crashes on takeoff from Chicago killing 273 including 2 on the ground

Pacific Southwest Airlines Flight 182 was a scheduled flight on September 25, 1978 by Pacific Southwest Airlines (PSA), from Sacramento (SMF) to San Diego (SAN), with a stopover at Los Angeles (LAX).

Pacific Southwest Airlines Flight 182 was a scheduled flight on September 25, 1978 by Pacific Southwest Airlines (PSA), from Sacramento (SMF) to San Diego (SAN), with a stopover at Los Angeles (LAX). The aircraft involved were a Boeing 727-214 (registration: N533PS) and a private Cessna 172 (light aircraft; N7711G) which collided mid-air over San Diego. It was Pacific Southwest Airlines' first fatal accident and it remains the deadliest air disaster in California history. At the time, it was the deadliest air crash to occur in the United States and remained so until the crash of American Airlines Flight 191 in May 1979.

Historical Significance

Pacific Southwest Airlines Flight 182 was a scheduled flight on September 25, 1978 by Pacific Southwest Airlines (PSA), from Sacramento (SMF) to San Diego (SAN), with a stopover at Los Angeles (LAX).

Events Before

  1. Air India Flight 855 crashes into the Arabian Sea less than two minutes after takeoff, killing all 213 people on board

    Air India Flight 855 was a scheduled passenger flight from Bombay (now Mumbai), India, to Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

  2. TV series "All Creatures Great and Small" debuts on BBC TV, based on the books by James Herriot, starring Robert Hardy a

    TV series "All Creatures Great and Small" debuts on BBC TV, based on the books by James Herriot, starring Robert Hardy and Christopher Timothy

  3. Bee Gees' album "Saturday Night Fever" goes #1; stays on top for 24 weeks

    Bee Gees' album "Saturday Night Fever" goes #1; stays on top for 24 weeks

  4. Sweden becomes the first nation in the world to ban aerosol sprays, due to their harmful effect on the earth's ozone lay

    Sweden becomes the first nation in the world to ban aerosol sprays, due to their harmful effect on the earth's ozone layer

  5. Novelist Danielle Steel (30) divorces Danny Zugelder after almost 3 years of marriage

    Novelist Danielle Steel (30) divorces Danny Zugelder after almost 3 years of marriage

Events After

  1. Chrysler Europe is renamed Talbot

    Chrysler Europe was the American automotive company Chrysler's operations in Europe from 1967 through 1978.

  2. Real Records releases "Pretenders" in the UK, the debut album by The Pretenders

    Pretenders is the debut studio album by British-American band the Pretenders, released in January 1980. A combination of rock and roll, punk and new wave music, it was an immediate success.

  3. Pink Floyd's double album "The Wall" hits #1

    The Wall is the eleventh studio album by the English rock band Pink Floyd, released on 30 November 1979 by Harvest CBS Records. It is the last album to include all four post-Barrett-era band members.

  4. US President Jimmy Carter announces a US boycott of the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow after the Soviet invasion of Afgh

    US President Jimmy Carter announces a US boycott of the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow after the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan

  5. Cypriot-American model Angie Bowie (30) divorces British singer David Bowie (33) after just under 10 years of marriage

    Cypriot-American model Angie Bowie (30) divorces British singer David Bowie (33) after just under 10 years of marriage

More from the 1970s

Frequently Asked Questions

What happened on May 25, 1979?
Pacific Southwest Airlines Flight 182 was a scheduled flight on September 25, 1978 by Pacific Southwest Airlines (PSA), from Sacramento (SMF) to San Diego (SAN), with a stopover at Los Angeles (LAX). The aircraft involved were a Boeing 727-214 (registration: N533PS) and a private Cessna 172 (light aircraft; N7711G) which collided mid-air over San Diego. It was Pacific Southwest Airlines' first fatal accident and it remains the deadliest air disaster in California history.
Why is American Airlines DC-10 crashes on takeoff from Chicago killing 273 including... significant?
Pacific Southwest Airlines Flight 182 was a scheduled flight on September 25, 1978 by Pacific Southwest Airlines (PSA), from Sacramento (SMF) to San Diego (SAN), with a stopover at Los Angeles (LAX).

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