1978 San Diego Mid-Air Collision: Cessna Identified as N7711G
Aircraft registry records identify the Cessna involved in the 1978 San Diego collision as N7711G, a Cessna P210N.
2 reports on this incident · first at Aug 28, 2026, 2:16 a.m. ET
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Earlier reports
Aug 28, 2026, 2:16 a.m. ETFirst report
1978 San Diego Midair Collision: Pilot's Final Words Recalled
A midair collision between a Pacific Southwest Airlines Boeing 727 and a Cessna Skyhawk over San Diego, United States, on September 25, 1978, killed all 135 people aboard the airliner and seven people on the ground, according to a report by the Daily Record. The report states that the crash killed a total of 144 people, including seven crew members and seven people on the ground.
The Daily Record reports that the cockpit voice recorder captured the pilot's final words, including 'Ma, I love you.' The collision occurred during the approach phase of flight.
The Cessna involved was registered as N7711G. According to aircraft registry records, N7711G is a Cessna P210N with serial number P21000072, and the registered owner of record is Trans Meridian Llc; the owner of record is not necessarily the operator, the pilot, or otherwise connected to the flight.
The cause of the collision has not been determined, and the investigation remains open.
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Reference data
From aircraft and geographic registries, not from the news sources. Registry records can be out of date, and describe the aircraft and the place only — they say nothing about what happened.
- Registration
- N7711G
- Type
- Cessna P210N — single-engine piston landplane
- Engines
- CONT MOTOR TSIO-520 SER
- Registered owner
- Trans Meridian LlcThe owner of record is not necessarily the operator, the pilot, or otherwise connected to the flight.
- Terrain elevation
- 95 ft
- Nearest aerodrome
- 1.9 miles SE of San Diego International Airport (KSAN/SAN)
Sources
Revision history
- Version 228 Aug 2026, 06:52current
Added Irish Mirror as a source for casualty figures and final words.
- Version 128 Aug 2026, 06:23
First published.
- Version 128 Aug 2026, 06:16current
First published.
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