Plane Crashes That Changed the Skies Forever

As a Boeing 727 approached San Diego, it collided midair with a small Cessna. The jet spiraled into a crowded neighborhood, exploding in a fiery crash. All 135 people onboard and seven on the ground were killed in one of the worst urban air disasters in U.S. history.

The sight of the falling jet shocked witnesses on the ground and left San Diego devastated. Investigators blamed communication failures between air traffic control and the Cessna pilot. The crash led to new rules separating small planes and commercial jets in congested airspace to prevent another urban catastrophe.