UI British Aerospace BAe-146-200 N350PS,

ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 326646

Date:	Monday 7 December 1987
Time:	16:16
Type:	British Aerospace BAe-146-200
Owner/operator:	Pacific Southwest Airlines - PSA
Registration:	N350PS
MSN:	E2027
Year of manufacture:	1984
Total airframe hrs:	8571 hours
Engine model:	Lycoming ALF502R-3
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 43 / Occupants: 43
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed, written off
Category:	UI
Location:	ca 19 km SW of Paso Robles, CA - United States of America
Phase:	En route
Nature:	Passenger - Scheduled
Departure airport:	Los Angeles International Airport, CA (LAX/KLAX)
Destination airport:	San Francisco International Airport, CA (SFO/KSFO)
Investigating agency:	NTSB
Confidence Rating:	Accident investigation report completed and information captured

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.

PROBABLE CAUSE:
control interference .. intentional .. passenger
sabotage .. intentional .. passenger
emotional reaction .. passenger

CONTRIBUTING FACTORS:
security .. inadequate .. company/operator management
procedure inadequate .. company/operator management
insuff standards/requirements,operation/operator .. FAA(organization)

Accident investigation: