Mid-Air Collision between Cessna 172 and Boeing 727 over San Diego, 1978
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Gibbs Flite Center Cessna 172 aircraft (N7711G) had taken off from Montgomery Field at 08:16 PST 
and proceeded to Lindbergh Field were two practice ILS approaches to runway 09 were flown. At 09:00 
the Cessna pilot was instructed to maintain VFR at or below 3500 feet, heading 70deg. Pacific South 
West Airlines Flight 182 (a scheduled passenger flight from Sacramento to San Diego via Los Angeles), 
cleared for a runway 27 approach, was advised by the approach controller that there was traffic in 
front of them. The PSA crew reported the traffic in sight immediately thereafter and the PSA flight 
was instructed to maintain visual separation and contact Lindbergh tower. Lindbergh tower again 
warned the PSA flight crew of "traffic, twelve o'clock, one mile, a Cessna". The crew had lost track 
of the Cessna and radioed back: "think he's passing off to our right". The flight crew still weren't 
sure of the actual position of the Cessna.

At 09:01:28 a conflict alert warning began in the San Diego Approach Control facility, indicating a 
collision hazard between PSA182 and the Cessna. At 09:01:47 the approach controller warned the Cessna 
pilot of traffic in the vicinity. At the same moment both aircraft collided. Flight 182 was descending 
and overtaking the Cessna, which was climbing in a wings level attitude. The Cessna broke up 
immediately and exploded after colliding with the Boeing's right wing. The Boeing entered a shallow 
right descending turn and crashed into a residential area.

PROBABLE CAUSE: "The failure of the flightcrew of Flight 182 to comply with the provisions of a 
maintain-visual-separation clearance, including the requirement to inform the controller when visual 
contact was lost; and the air traffic control procedures in effect which authorized the controllers 
to use visual separation procedures in a terminal area environment when the capability was available 
to provide either lateral or vertical separation to either aircraft. Contributing to the accident were 
(1) the failure of the controller to advise Flight 182 of the direction of movement of the Cessna; 
(2) the failure of the pilot of the Cessna to maintain his assigned heading; and (3) the improper 
resolution by the controller of the conflict alert."

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Flight Data Recording:

    9:00:34 PSA Crew to Tower: "Lindbergh PSA 182 downwind."
    9:00:38 Lindbergh Tower: "PSA 182, Lindbergh tower, ah, traffic twelve o'clock one mile a Cessna."
    9:00:41 First Officer Fox: "Flaps five."
    9:00:43 Captain McFeron: "Is that the one (we're) looking at?"
    9:00:43 First Officer Fox: "Yeah, but I don't see him now."
    9:00:44 PSA Crew to Tower: "Okay, we had it there a minute ago."
    9:00:47 Lindbergh Tower: "182, roger."
    9:00:50 PSA Crew to Tower: "I think he's pass(sed) off to our right."
    9:00:51 Lindbergh Tower: "Yeah."
    9:00:52 Captain McFeron: "He was right over here a minute ago."
    9:00:53 Lindbergh Tower: "How far are you going to take your downwind 182, company traffic (another 
PSA jet) is waiting for departure."
    9:00:57 PSA Crew to Tower: "Ah probably about three to four miles."
    9:00:59 Lindbergh Tower: "Okay."
    9:01:07 Lindbergh Tower: "PSA 182, cleared to land."
    9:01:08 PSA Crew to Tower: "182's cleared to land."
    9:01:11 First Officer Fox: "Are we clear of that Cessna?"
    9:01:13 Flight Engineer Wahne: "Suppose to be."
    9:01:14 Captain McFeron: "I guess."
    9:01:15 [sound of laughter]
    9:01:20 PSA Employee in Cockpit: "I hope."
    9:01:21 Captain McFeron: "Oh yeah, before we turned downwind, I saw him about one o'clock, probably 
behind us now."
    9:01:31 First Officer Fox: "Gear down."
    9:01:38 First Officer Fox: "There's one underneath."
    9:01:39 First Officer Fox: "I was looking at that inbound there."

Is the first officer pointing out another aircraft that he has been watching and noting that there's one 
underneath too? He must be because it should no longer be possible for him to see the Cessna virtually 
under his right wing. If he could see the Cessna, he'd surely warn the captain and take evasive action.  
Instead, witnesses said that the right wing dipped slightly and the Cessna pulled up - perhaps as a 
result of the aerodynamic forces between the two aircraft so close together.

    9:01:45 Captain McFeron: "Whoop!"
    9:01:46 First Officer Fox: "Aghhh!"
    9:01:47 Miramar Naval Station: "Cessna one one golf a traffic ah in your vicinity a PSA jet has you 
in sight he's descending for Lindbergh."
    9:01:47 [Sound of impact]
    9:01:47 PSA Employee in Cockpit: "Oh [two deleted words]"
    9:01:49 Captain McFeron: "Easy baby, easy baby."
    9:01:51 Captain McFeron: "What have we got here?"
    9:01:52 First Officer Fox: "It's bad."
    9:01:53 First Officer Fox: "We're hit man, we are hit."
    9:01:56 PSA Crew to Tower: "Tower, we're going down, this is PSA."
    9:01:57 Lindbergh Tower: "Okay, we'll call the (emergency) equipment for you."
    9:01:58 Unidentified PSA crewmember: "Whoo!"
    9:01:58 [Sound of stall warning]
    9:01:59 Unidentified PSA crewmember: "Bob."
    9:02:00 Unidentified PSA crewmembers: "[several deleted words from two crewmembers]"
    9:02:03 Captain McFeron: "Brace yourself."
    9:02:04 Unidentified PSA crewmember: "Hey baby..."
    9:02:04 Unidentified PSA crewmember: "Ma, I love yah."
    9:02:04.5 [End of recording]