photo: courtesy of Check-Six.com
34-years-ago today, a twin-engine Beechcraft Baron slammed into Concord’s Sunvalley Mall, killing seven people (the pilot, two passengers and four people on the ground). The crash also seriously injured and burned close to 100 Christmas shoppers in the crowded mall.
Killed in the plane was the pilot, James Graham, 67, of Oakland, and his passengers, 23-year-old Brian Oliver and 48-year-old John Lewis.
In the mall, those who died were 22-year-old Pamela Stanford, 49-year-old Chandrika Shah, 45-year-old Patricia Larson and 14-month-old Alexander Luong, of Concord.
Do you remember the crash, and if so, where were you when it happened?
Where is that memorial plaque? I don’t think I’ve ever seen it…
I was at home watching TV. The news broke in with a special report. My mother was out Christmas shopping and we were scared that she was at the mall. Pre-cell phones, you know. When she finally came home she knew nothing about the crash – she’d been at Park and Shop.
I don’t know. It’s the first I’ve heard of it.
I was 14 years old and I was ice skating at the Sunvalley Mall with my friend and her little brother while her mom was shopping. I remember just seeing the smoke and not knowing where her mother was. I remember going to the Magic Pan restaurant and using there phone to call my mom and say we were ok- we did eventually find my friends mom and she had was ok but that was the most scary thing I have seen. I still remember they evening when I walk the mall especially this time of year.
I wasn’t born yet but I know the family of one of the victims on the ground.
Thank you for listing the names. A prayer for those families.
Curious if the pilot had tried to steer clear of the mall as to reduce casualties, or if he purposefully steered towards the big mall building as to try and reduce the impact of the impending crash?
I think you are trying to be respectful here… But your question reads in an unfavorable light…
I believe it was very foggy that evening of the crash and the pilot simply came in far too short of Buchanan Field’s runway.
The fog that night was so thick the pilot flew past the airport and failed to execute the published missed approach. One theory is he mistakenly thought the lights of the mall looked like the runway environment. Visibility was zero at the time.
Last year, someone with detailed knowledge left a post explaining that the FAA sent a junior inspector to research the crash, and he very quickly blamed the pilot. But apparently, one of the parts on the plane was problematic and should have been recalled. If it failed, the plane would be uncontrollable. The FAA investigation failed to look into this, even though the failure of this part explains the plane’s behavior. Those who knew the pilot said he was very experienced and never would have made the simple mistakes he was blamed for.
Jim Graham, the pilot, was a good pilot, he and his wife owned General Air, a flight instruction school there at Buchanan field, and probably flew in and out of that airport a thousand times, and no one would intentionally slam into a building ……. you try for open spaces. The fog that night was BAD, and when visibility is low, you need to be an instrument rated pilot to navigate, as you cant see any visual markers. We don’t know what happened, who was actually flying the plane, and if a medical issue might have come up, but most of us realize the most logical reason was the heavy fog, combined with the lights around the mall, causing confusion, ending in tragedy. RIP all who lost their lives that fateful night
From what I remember it wasn’t the pilots error something fell off of the aircraft he was flying.
This happened the first year I moved to Concord.
I was just 10 yrs old at the time and still remember the crash like it just happened.my brother and his friend had left the mall prior to the crash then went back and left again litterally right before it happened. Our next door neighbors mom and baby brother Alexander Luong were among the many injured and Alexander passed a away as a result of his injuries in the hospital. A very sad day for all.
My grandma was taking me to the mall. We loved to go see Santa and all the holiday fun. We had a tradition of having tea in the center while watching santa. But this year she got to the mall and said “looks too crowded, let’s go to Kmart” so we did. As we were shopping the plane crashed. I will forever remember to listen to my inner voice after this one change of plans probably saved our lives.
I was there and went home 30 min. before the plane hit the mall. I was in the area that the plane crashed. Talk about luck.
My mom was going to take my sister and I there that night to see Santa, but decided not to for whatever reason. I wasn’t even a year old yet. It’s crazy to think about. Very, very sad for everyone there and affected by it.
Yes, I remember it well. Was home and can remember being so shocked that happened but that fog can be so dangerous; I’ve been stuck in it. That happened when Sun Valley Mall was a really nice place to shop; not like it is now. Not sure if the Mall actually ever recovered from that. I can remember being in shock and in a state of disbelief that four people on the ground lost their lives and there were so many injured. R.I.P. to the seven people who lost their lives.
I was taking flying lessons from Pacific States Aviation at Buchanan Airport back then, and flew my last solo flight earlier that day. After this Sun Valley Mall crash, I couldn’t get back in the Cessna – didn’t want to endanger any lives, since the pilot of this crash was an experienced pilot and flight instructor, and I was a student pilot.
And No Chicken Little’s comment above is exactly correct: the blue lights on the perimeter of the roof of Sunvalley Mall looked eerily similar to the runway landing lights at Buchanan Airport, and then throw in the foggy conditions. A day I’ll never forget…
I had just left the mall about an hour before it happened. So scary
That was a terrible tragedy. I was at home when it happened and I remember the news coverage. Just felt so bad for that injured. Loss of life was huge too. Hope that never happens again. I also remember a large jet crash that happened years ago in Danville but I have not heard of it again since it happened.
The Danville crash occurred on May 7, 1964. There were 44 people killed when a passenger got into the cockpit and shot the pilot and co-pilot. This led to the national Law requiring that the cockpit door always be locked. The online information states that the flight was from Reno to San Francisco…I believe it was a propeller driven plane.
I was 19.I had just left the mall and was headed back home on 4 towards Richmond. I remember the fog was probably the worst I have ever seen on hwy 4
I was there and right in the middle of it I was shopping, I had just got certified as an EMT . There was only one other person around that was not hurt he help me to get some people out from under some burning debris on the bottom floor. I thought it was a bomb everyone ran, then I went up stairs to see who I could help through Macy’s by the old candy shop where I saw a man with his child trying to cool the baby in the sink, I believe the child had melted tar on it. Once I was up stairs I saw a man with a flashlight at this time the sprinklers had put an inch of water on the floor. Then I saw the plane hanging through the sky light.
I have a lot of memories from that night and I think of them every year.
Bless those who died and those who were scared.
I was in the mall when it happened – in the movie theatre – a science fiction movie with lots of explosions so I didn”t hear the crash. We were told to leave through the emergency exit. Everybody was quiet and serious outside and walking very quickly. Because of the huge number of people leaving, we decided to leave the car there and walk. We didn’t know what had happened until we got home.
I had just walked away from the ATM on the side of JC Penney walking alongside of what is next to BJs. The plane buzzed me and my first thought was “that plane was low” then it crashed. It wasn’t very loud and all I saw was smoke and sparks. I ran into the mall and just saw people running toward me and smoke. So I ran back to the car and drove to the back to see the tail of the plane hanging over the edge of the building. I met some kids very freaked out that were by the Santa display and told me that people died. I left after that. It was shocking
Left the mall moments before the crash. Had more presents to buy, but forgot to bring a diaper with me, and my son had a load in his. He saved our lives that night. Arrived home to the phone ringing – my boss knew I was going shopping after work. Will forever thank my son for saving our lives! Was truly divine intervention!
I was at the mall with my two son’s; five and two years old. We were standing in line to see Santa, the line was long and my boys started acting up and fighting with each other. I told them to stop or we would leave and not see Santa…well they continue fighting, so we left. Leaving when we did probably saved our lives. We were getting on the freeway heading home to Walnut Creek when the plane crashed into the mall.
Where is the plaque?
I was there with my sister and my best friend. It was so scary and so sad.
I was 20 when this happened and I had a seasonal job at Hickory Farms. Back then H.F. was a permanent store that was downstairs and near the food court. My other job was as a “substitute” Santa when the usual guy was late or sick or whatever. I only filled in twice.
That day, the Santa people stopped by to see if I could sub for Santa again. He was late or they couldn’t get ahold of him, so they checked with me. I was ok with it, so when I got of work at HF, I went over to get dressed and made up. I was about half finished when the usual Santa showed up and they let me go home.
I was home from college and staying with my parents near Northgate H.S. and I rode my bike to and from work. I think it took me about 45 minutes to get home. When I arrived, my mom was nearly hysterical. She said that a 727 had crashed into the mall and many people were dead. I don’t know where she came up with a 727 but I can understand her worry.
I just have just missed the crash. Never had an idea that it happened until I got home. Thank God I dodged that bullet.
MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL! REMEMBER TO HUG YOUR LOVED ONES!
I literally just left Macy’s. As we were driving home
There was all kinds of fire engine trucks go blazing by. The moment we got home we turned the tv on to see what had happened.
That night i was in the See’s Candy store across the street from the mall when i heard what sounded like the plane overhead and it didn’t sound like it should have. I and another customer looked outside towards the direction the plane sound was headed and the mall to see an orange explosion glowing in the fog. It appeared almost like a half firework up towards the sky. All the folks in the store went silent as we realized what had just happened. My girlfriend and i drove to the west side of the mall as people were running out in a panic, some of the people that ran out were saying it was a bomb. We tried to tell as many as we could it had been a plane crash to lessen their worries because as the previous comment many thought there may me more explosions. We then drove to the other side to see the plane overhanging at the top and decided there was not much more we could do outside the mall. I am absolutely grateful we decided to go to the candy store first that night and do think of the perished and their families to this day every time i go to the mall.
I was living in Redwood City back then, my mom lived in Rossmoor and my sister in Concord.
I knew my mom was Christmas Shopping with my sister and when I heard the news, I kept calling my mom (of course at home… no cell phones). When there was no answer at either of their houses after midnight, I knew something wasn’t right.
My mother was outside of Macy’s lower level when it crashed. There was so much debris she said, it was hard getting around. She became separated from my sister and was burned from something liquid coming from the open wound in the roof of the mall.
She told us that while people injured and helping the injured were pulling clothes off of mannequins in Macy’s, there were actually Macy’s employees grabbing the clothes back and not allowing people to use them for bandages and such. She was appalled.
Her arm was burned badly and my sister brought her to a hospital and got it cleaned up.
She finally called me to tell me she was fine. My sister on the other hand ruined her boots trying to get back to mom.
I’m not sure if it was before that but my mother had also just entered the Caldecott tunnel when the tanker collided with a bus(?) however, she was going the other way. She said it was like a vacuum when it exploded and lit up the tunnel like a Roman candle.
Mom escaped several things during her 59 years on this planet. Ironically, she passed away on December 21 1987 and we buried her on December 24.
I miss my mom…. Christmas is now just another day.
I was working that day at command performance hair salon. I remember the mall was packed full of people doing their last minute shopping and kids waiting to see santa. Everyone was in the holiday spirit and you could hear the Christmas music being played throughout the mall. . Accually the plane crashed into Heidis hair salon which was right above the salon I worked at not Macys. The roof of the mall at the time had red lights that ran the length of the mall and the pilot mistook the lights for runway lights and at the last minute tried to pull up in order to miss the mall. That’s why the mall has a glass ceiling so that this horrible tragedy can never happen again. The mall looked like a bomb had gone off. It was a tragic accident that many people will never forget.
As many of us have asked but no one has answered, where is the plaque located? I’ve been to that mall many times and I’ve never seen it.
I was at home I was a senior in high school in San Ramon. My mom worked in the Sun Valley Mall and was there the day it happened. She said that all of a sudden she heard a crash and that there was smoke everywhere except she saw running flames basically people that were running around on fire that was all she could see through the smoke. She was lucky that she worked in a salon near an area where she could feel her way out of the building she left her purse inside the building because it happened so quickly she could not even see her way outside the building other than feeling her way against the wall. She said when she got outside that there was one victim on the ground that was obviously in shock she was just staring at my mom and my mom was shocked to see that her clothes were pretty much melted against her body but the girls eyes were open and a believe this was the girl that was upstairs getting her ring for her wedding that was to happen. Remember that day we heard that it happened my dad was worried and he drove out from Alamo to the mall to see if my mom was OK and then we ended up finding out that she was fine. But it was awful to hear what she saw just basically seeing running flames, Humans appearing as a torch running. And I remember vividly her explaining that girl that was on the ground laid out with her clothes melted on her body. And how her eyes were just open and my mom was walking around in disbelief. I will never forget this from happening every time I go to them all I think about this and pray for God to protect me and my family when we go there.
@Kim – the findings listed in the official NTSB report pin it squarely on pilot error. As others have noted here, there is surprise that is the case within his family, immediate friends, and the general aviation community that knew Jim Graham.
He was a very experienced pilot, familiar with Buchanan field, and also very qualified to fly safely in the conditions that evening.
I have wondered at times if the NTSB findings were also a way at getting back at the family. This incident resulted in new case law as the pilot’s widow wanted her technical representative(s) present during the teardown of the engines and other material recovered from the crash scene. Ultimately, the courts ruled that surviving family members did not have the “right” to have technical observers present. The reasoning was that there could potentially be hundreds or thousands of such requests in a commercial airliner incident. Once the legal issue was settled the NTSB and aircraft manufacturer proceeded with the teardown and reported there was nothing found wrong with the aircraft. It’s an area of case law that I believe should challenged and changed. For example, often when there is a law officer involved death of a subject there are technical representatives present from the deceased family during the autopsy. All humans are affected by confirmation bias. If we know that things are usually a certain way we tend to discard or minimize information that contradicts out beliefs and to maximum and retain information that confirms those beliefs. Pilot error is nearly always found to be the cause when an aircraft crashes. Thus, people investigating a crash are not likely to look hard for evidence that there was a mechanical failure.
The family’s private investigator found that the NTSB had not fully investigated the evidence. Specifically, that aircraft at the time had a known issue with temporarily running out of fuel in one engine under certain conditions. A missed approach climb and turn mirrored one of the conditions that could lead to fuel starvation. The NTSB refused to re-open the investigation once the private investigator found evidence that the NTSB never looked at the aircraft’s fuel system as they seemed so certain it was pilot error.
In this case unfortunately, we will never know what happened within Jim Graham’s aircraft that evening. I remember it well as we were having a family gathering at our house that included general aviation pilots, flight instructors, and a fire chief who also is an arson investigator. Thus, we followed what was happening with great interest and continue to do so.
I’m also wondering where the plaque is or was located. The bricks surrounding the plaque remind me of the bricks in the exterior/interior hallway on the west side of the mall between Sears and the main mall. It’s an entrance I very rarely use as most of the time I’d go in via Macy’s.
It’s still a sad time of the year for many families in this area.
every year this story brings out the naysayers (I can be one of the worst)… would be easier if Claycord would also print the FAA report each time, so we can get past the debate. I doubt the pilot had any malice or ill-intent. This story is meant as a memorial… Thoughts go out to everyone who has suffered from the crash.
@S – NTSB reports are terse and use pilot/aircraft/airport jargon. They tend to focus on the known facts based on available evidence. That said, the NTSB report for this incident is available here and also as a PDF document.
When looking for the report on the NTSB web site I saw another for another fatal accident earlier in December at Buchanan field.