Twenty-six years have passed since a Piper Cherokee Archer II and Aeromexico Flight 498 collided in the skies above Cerritos, and claimed the lives of 82 people, destroyed 11 homes and severely damaged seven other residences.
Considered the darkest day in city's history, the Aug. 31, 1986 tragedy shocked everyone in the town we all call home as well as those spanning communities and nations throughout the world.
But even in the bleakest moments of this catastrophe, the people of Cerritos, its leaders and neighbors stood together, hand in hand, to help bring the community back on its feet from a tragedy that affected the lives of so many.
On the 25th anniversary of the Cerritos Air Disaster last year, the city of Cerritos held a special ceremony honoring the lives of those who perished as a result of the plane crash, drawing hundreds of community members from the Southland as well families and friends of the deceased victims.
"I thank the Lord that there's people that still remember them, this is going to be forever ... this is in our hearts even though life has to move on," said Mary Guzman whose husband and son were aboard the Aermexico jetliner along with five others in her close-knit circle of family and friends.
Today we remember the survivors, the heroes and those who lost their lives on that fateful day. We shall never forget ...
In Memory of Our Cerritos Families and Friends Who Perished in the Cerritos Air Disaster of Aug. 31, 1986:
Cuauhtemoc Cronkhite
Tonantzin Cronkhite
Xochi Cronkhite
Angelica Estrada
Frank Estrada
Javier Estrada
Freeman Jackson
Juanita Logan
Linda McIllwain
Kelsey Rickard
Laura Rickard
Jennifer Starr
Sandra Starr
Howard Yackytooahnipah
Sharon Yackytooahnipah
In Memory of Those Who Perished in the DC-9 AeroMexico Flight 498 and the Piper Cherokee Archer II Cerritos Air Disaster of Aug. 31, 1986:
Andres Avila
Andres Avila
Rosa Ojeda de Avila
Laura Ballesteros
Carmen Barrero
Thomas Basye
Byron Booker
Aurea Caro
Frank Corella
Mark Corella
Howard Crosno
Robert Crosno
Juan Echeverri
Clemente Espinosa
Iris Ferrufino
Israel Ferrufino
Linda Garcia
Paul Garcia
Dinorah Gonzalez
Hector Gutierrez
Teresa Gutierrez
Joe Guzman
Manuel Guzman
Robert Guzman
Sherryl Harmeling
Sharon Hendricks
Wendy Hendricks
Rosalia Hernandez
Gregorio Huerta
Robert Kaptowsky
Elizabeth Knight
Patricia Knight
Rutilia Knight
Caroline Kramer
Kathleen Kramer
William Kramer
Elva Leanos
Raul Leanos
Carlos Lopez
Carlos Lopez, Jr.
Guadalupe Lopez
Patricia Lopez
Gloria Navis
Christina Pena
Elizabeth Pena
Maria Pena
Oscar Pena
Jesus Reyes
Donald Rush
Fredric Rush
Alma Sanchez
Sandra Stein
Stanley Stein
Diana Sicairos
Gabriel Sicairos
George Sicairos
Richard Sicairos
Arturo Valdesprom
Hector Valencia
Jaime Ventura
Richard Walsh
Donald Winlack
Georgia Winlack
Donald Wong
Jason Wong
Stefan Wong
To read more about the Cerritos Air Disaster, click on the links below featuring articles that were part of the , which takes a historical look back that tragic day, recollections from those who responded to the site of the catastrophe within moments of the accident, as well as reflections from those who helped bring the community back on its feet in the days, months and years that followed.
