A memorial ceremony will be held today to mark the 25th anniversary of the collision of two planes in the skies over Cerritos that plunged into the ground in a horrific inferno, leaving 82 people dead, including 15 on the ground.
The ceremony, which is open to the public, will be held at 11:30 a.m. at the Cerritos Air Disaster Memorial in the Cerritos Sculpture Garden which is located in the Civic Center. The remembrance will include a brief formal ceremony with the Cerritos City Council; a reading of the victims' names; a prayer for the victims and their loved ones; and a moment of silence.
Exactly 25 years ago today, at about 11:55 a.m. on Sunday, Aug. 31, 1986 a DC-9 Aeromexico Flight 498 on its final approach to Los Angeles International Airport from Mexico collided with a private Piper Cherokee Archer II carrying a Palos Verdes Estates family about 6,500 feet above Cerritos. Upon impact, both of the aircrafts spun out of control and came crashing to the ground.
The single-engine Piper crashed into an empty playground at , while the DC-9, with its tail section disabled, plummeted nose-first into the neighborhood around Ashworth and Reva places and Holmes Avenue.
The Aeromexico plane, with 58 passengers and a crew of six, erupted into a fireball as it slammed into the neighborhood, propelling twisted airplane parts, luggage, human remains and clothing across the area. A total of 67 people on the two planes died, along with 15 more people on the ground.
About 10 blocks were cordoned off as emergency crews searched for survivors among the charred vehicles and homes that were leveled as fire tore through the neighborhood. At least 18 homes were severely damaged or destroyed. The crash occurred on a quiet Sunday of Labor Day weekend, throwing the lives of dozens of people into instant turmoil on a day that began with some residents attending church services, others celebrating parties or family gatherings and those simply enjoying their last few days of summer at home.
Investigators eventually blamed the crash on air traffic control failures and errors by the pilot of the small plane. Dozens of lawsuits were filed, with millions of dollars in damages paid out.
Today, the only remaining hint of the disaster is a memorial in the Cerritos Sculpture Garden, the site of today's ceremony to remember the victims. The memorial was created by artist Kathleen Caricof, who sculpted three individual pieces to represent the three groups of people who perished in the disaster. Two pieces are free-form shapes in marble and granite that evoke wings, symbolizing flying, weightlessness and release. These "wings" are atop two platforms inscribed with the names of the victims killed in the accident. The memorial also includes a bench to give visitors a place to rest and reflect.
Today the city and the community will come together to remember and honor those who lost their lives on that tragic day a quarter of a century ago.
Cerritos Families and Friends Who Perished in 1986 Cerritos Air Disaster
- Cuauhtemoc Cronkhite
- Tonantzin Cronkhite
- Xochi Cronnkhite
- Anjelica Estrada
- Javier Estrada
- Freeman Jackson
- Juanita Logan
- Linda McIllwain
- Kelsey Rickard
- Kelsey Rickard
- Jennifer Starr
- Sandra Starr
- Howard Yackytooahnipah
- Sharon Yackytooahnipah
Passengers Who Perished in the DC-9 Aeromexico Flight 498 and the Piper Cherokee Archer II 1986 Cerritos Air Disaster
- Andrea 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
- Rutilia Knight
- Caroline Kramer
- Kathleen Kramer
- William Kramer
- Elva Leanos
- Raul Leanos
- Carlos Lopez
- Carlos Lopez, Jr.
- Guadalupe Lopez
- Patricia Lopez
- Gloria Navis
- Raymond 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
- Jorge Sicairos
- Arturo Valdesprom
- Hector Valencia
- Jaimie Ventura
- Richard Walsh
- Donald Winlack
- Georgia Winlack
- Donald Wong
- Jason Wong
- Stefan Wong
