Pilot's devastating four final words to his mother before plane crash killed 144

A cockpit voice recorder captured distressing final words moments before Pacific Southwest Airlines Flight 182 collided with a Cessna over San Diego on September 25, 1978, a crash that killed 144 people, including seven crew members and seven people on the ground. The Pacific Southwest Airlines Boeing 727 departed under ideal conditions—light winds and clear skies—before the disaster unfolded. Air traffic controllers had warned the Boeing 727 crew to watch for the nearby Cessna Skyhawk N7711G, but the crew lost sight of it. First Officer Robert Fox discussed the Cessna’s position with Captain James McFeron, and flight engineer Martin Wahne said they were “supposed to be” clear. Moments later, McFeron told the tower, “We’re going down,” and instructed passengers to “Brace yourself,” while an unidentified voice said to his mother, “Ma, I love you.”