33 Years ago today: On 7 December 1987 a Pacific Southwest BAe-146 crashed near Paso Robles, CA after the crew were shot by a passenger, killing all 43 occupants.
| Date: | Monday 7 December 1987 |
| Time: | 16:16 |
| Type: | British Aerospace BAe-146-200 |
| Operator: | Pacific Southwest Airlines – PSA |
| Registration: | N350PS |
| C/n / msn: | E2027 |
| First flight: | 1984-11-24 (3 years ) |
| Total airframe hrs: | 8571 |
| Engines: | 4 Lycoming ALF502R-3 |
| Crew: | Fatalities: 5 / Occupants: 5 |
| Passengers: | Fatalities: 38 / Occupants: 38 |
| Total: | Fatalities: 43 / Occupants: 43 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Aircraft fate: | Written off (damaged beyond repair) |
| Location: | ca 19 km SW of Paso Robles, CA ( |
| Phase: | En route (ENR) |
| Nature: | Domestic Scheduled Passenger |
| Departure airport: | Los Angeles International Airport, CA (LAX/KLAX), United States of America |
| Destination airport: | San Francisco International Airport, CA (SFO/KSFO), United States of America |
| Flightnumber: | 1771 |
Narrative:
A British Aerospace BAe-146-200 passenger jet, registered N350PS, was destroyed when it impacted the ground near Paso Robles, CA. All five crew members and 38 passengers on board were killed. Pacific Southwest Airlines Flight 1771 hade departed Los Angeles International Airport, CA (LAX) on a domestic flight to San Francisco International Airport, CA (SFO).
A recently discharged USAir employee boarded the flight after bypassing security. He carried a borrowed 44 caliber pistol. His former supervisor was on board the flight.
At 16:13, the pilot reported to Oakland ARTCC that he had an emergency and that gunshots had been fired in the airplane. Within 25 seconds, Oakland CTR controllers observed that PSA1771 had begun a rapid descent from which it did not recover. Witnesses on the ground said the airplane was intact and there was no evidence of fire before the airplane struck the ground in a steep nose-down attitude. The cvr tape revealed the sounds of a scuffle and several shots which were apparently fired in or near the cockpit. The pistol was found in the wreckage with 6 expended rounds. FAA rules permitted airline employees to bypass security checkpoints.
