What happened
On a flight operated by PSA, a former employee of USAir managed to circumvent security protocols to board the aircraft. The individual carried a .44 caliber handgun onto the plane and left a message for associates prior to boarding. A note discovered among the debris indicated that the passenger intended to target a supervisor from his previous employer who was traveling on the same flight.
At approximately 16:13, the pilot notified Oakland ARTCC of an emergency situation involving gunfire inside the cabin. Shortly thereafter, air traffic controllers observed PSA 1771 entering a rapid and uncontrolled descent. Ground observers reported that the aircraft appeared structurally intact and showed no signs of fire prior to impacting the ground in a steep, nose-down position. Audio recordings from the cockpit voice recorder captured sounds of a physical struggle and multiple gunshots occurring near or within the flight deck.
The incident resulted in 43 fatalities, with no survivors among the occupants. The firearm used in the attack was recovered from the crash site with six spent shell casings.
Findings
Investigations into the disaster highlighted several critical failures regarding security and operational oversight. It was determined that existing FAA regulations allowed certain airline employees to bypass standard security checkpoints, which facilitated the boarding of the weapon. The official findings identified intentional interference and sabotage by the passenger as primary factors in the loss of control. Additionally, the investigation noted the incapacitation of both the pilot and co-pilot following the violence, alongside inadequate security management and insufficient regulatory standards regarding passenger screening.