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Clear weather and a natural harbor made San Diego an early aviation hub, but success in flight came with devastating tragedies. The remains of more than four hundred aircrafts lie scattered across the county's deserts and mountains. Experts estimate that dozens more are on the ocean floor off the coast. In 1922, army pilot Charles F. Webber's DeHavilland biplane went missing over Cuyamaca Rancho State Park. In 1978, Pacific Southwest Airlines Flight 178 collided midair over San Diego and crashed in the residential North Park neighborhood, claiming the lives of 144 people in what was the worst airline disaster of the era. Author and aircraft accident research specialist G. Pat Macha recounts these and other stories of astonishing survival, heroism and heartbreaking fatality.
About the author
Author of six books on aircraft accidents in California, Pat Macha has been documenting crash sites throughout the state for fifty-two years. He has hiked to, or flown over more than fifty crash sites in San Diego County alone. Since 1996, along with the Project Remembrance Team, he has assisted next of kin in visiting crash sites and placing memorials. To learn more about his work visit www.aircraftwrecks.com.
