PSA Flight 182

Paper Summary:

In this article concerning the mid-air collision of Pacific Southwest Airlines (PSA) flight 182, the writer traces the events leading up to the event. The writer then describes the accident and explores the possible causes. The writer narrates some of the eye-witness accounts and reviews its aftermath including the effect of the crash on the regulations on air-traffic control around busy airports. The writer concludes that the flight 182 disaster over San Diego remains one of the biggest and most horrific air disasters in the U.S. aviation history, which could have been prevented if better flight rules had been followed. Further, the writer notes that the only silver lining of the appalling tragedy is that the accident prompted the implementation of stricter safety regulations around busy airports in the U.S.

Outline:
The Chronology of Events Leading to the Accident
Communication with San Diego Approach Controller & Lindbergh Tower
Confusion in the Cockpit
The Accident
Eyewitness Accounts
Cause of the Crash
How The Accident Affected Regulations on Air-traffic Control
Conclusion

From the Paper:

"Robert Osby, then a battalion chief with the San Diego Fire Department, and later the fire chief, who supervised the rescue efforts at the disaster site recalls that the firefighters due to their prompt and professional efforts were able to contain the fire from spreading beyond a remarkably small area--only two sides of one short block of Dwight Street. He also thanks God that the plane had crashed into a working-class neighborhood on a Monday morning when most of the residents of the destroyed homes were at work; otherwise the death toll on the ground would have been much higher (Ibid.) Another reason why the fireball from the fallen aircraft was contained in a smaller area was because the plane did not fall in a parallel-to-the-ground glide path but crashed nose first."
"Hans Wendt, a staff photographer with the San Diego County's public relations office, who was covering an outdoor press event in North Park at the time of the accident, took two dramatic post collision still color photographs of the falling Boeing-727 trailing blue-and-white smoke streaking from its right wing while plunging towards the ground."

Sample of Sources Used:

• "Aircraft Accident Report." (1979). National Aircraft Safety Board. Retrieved on July 25, 2006 from http://www.psa-history.org/museum/NTSBAAR7905.pdf
• "CVR transcript: PSA Boeing 727." (n.d.) dnausers.net. Retrieved on July 25, 2006 from http://dnausers.d-n-a.net/dnetGOjg/250978.htm
• Shess, T. (1998). "This is it!" San Diego Magazine online. Retrieved on July 25, 2006 from http://www.sandiegomag.com/issues/august98/psa.shtml
• Stich, R. (2005). Unfriendly Skies: 20th and 21st Centuries. Reno, Nevada: Diablo Western Press

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