photo: courtesy of Check-Six.com
36-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.
QUESTION: Do you remember the crash, and if so, where were you when it happened?
Yes we were home. Oddly we were kind of telling ourselves how lucky it was we were home not out in the madness of late Christmas shoppers….. Then we heard on the news about the crash and we were doubly thankful we were home.
I was at the mall when we decided to go across the street to K-Mart. The plane crashed about five minutes after we left the mall.
I was home . My mom and grandmother where going to head to Emporium to do a return about an hour before the crash. But changed there mind because I wasn’t feeling well and didn’t want to leave me. I was 12.
I’d quit doing Christmas in Sunvalley Mall several years earlier. Driving in bumper to bumper traffic barely inching forward, and being stuck several blocks away from the Mall entrances and inside the parking lot was never my thing. There was zero chance of me being there. I was at my home in Oakland when I heard and saw it on a news flash on TV. I was really lucky that I knew where my mom was at that moment, and she wasn’t there. We talked right away, and she’d heard about it too, probably on KGO, she had no television after I left home. I was also very fortunate in that I personally did not know anyone who was. It was dreadful.
Every year I ask and every year nobody has an answer. But does anyone know where exactly this plaque is?
From the stone work, I’m guessing it is located at the outdoor entrance to the mall, possibly on the east side bottom level entering the isle to the center court. It could also be at that same location but the upper level entry..
I’ll go check it out this week, you have me curious now too!
I was supposed to be there but chose to go to Stoneridge. My husband was there and it is still a horrible memory for him and others who worked the scene.
Many first responders had many years of issues from this event. In those days no one got trauma assistance.
The plane came down through the roof throwing fuel on people and kids waiting to see Santa. Luckily he had just taken a break.
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I was in SV mall when the plane crashed. I was on the upper floor near the Sears entrance when we (my GF and I) hear a large boom and turned around to see a large fireball at the ceiling of the atrium and people running towards us in a panic.
We exited towards CC Blvd and went to Carlos Murphys to immediately call our parents to let them know we were okay.
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My Great Uncle lived off Farm Bureau Rd at the time. I know we, the family, were visiting him about that time because he took us all later to see the outside damage,, if memory serves me right…
I was there that night with my mom. I was almost to the atrium area to sit and wait for my mom when I heard a loud boom and like all the air was sucked out of the mall. People were screaming and running and a billow of smoke filled the area. I saw other horrible things I’d rather not mention. Thankfully I found my mom and we were safe, but my heart still hurts for those who were injured and lost their lives.
We were home. Our neighbors were at Sunvalley Mall shopping, then on their way home in the parking lot when the plane crashed. They came home crying and shook-up. I would have been too.
I was 16, there with friends, we were up on 3rd Floor of Macy’s where they had TVs/electronics and we had just finished up watching some of the Rams/Raiders MNF game when we went down to lower level and that’s when the plane hit.
We were in the movie theatre at the north end of the mall. It was a science fiction movie with lots of explosions, etc., so we didn’t hear the crash.
I was across the street at See’s Candy Store waiting for my then GF, wife now, who was in the cashier line. I heard a plane that sounded like it flew overhead and looked out the window to see through the fog a huge orange fireball above the mall. The hustle and bustle of the shoppers in the store went to complete silence when it was realized what had happened. We drove over to the mall to see what we can do to help as it was my obligation as a public servant back then.
All we could do is tell the people running out of the mall who had no idea what had just happened that a plane had crashed into the roof. To some, it helped to know it was not some other tragic event, even then we worried about terrorist attacks.
May those who perished and suffered that day be in our thoughts and prayers on this sad anniversary of a sad memory.
I was there working at a store and had a front row seat. At first I heard a loud noise that sounded like thunder, I even commented to a co worker that it was funny because I’d never thunder in Concord. The next thing that happen was the ceiling opened up and it started raining fire. Everyone started running towards us and the exits. Some people were on fire and we tried to get them to the fountain pool… Then I tried to prevent our customers from rushing out into the area to see what was going on. By this time the Santa viewing area was on fire. So, I slammed sit our big glass front door and in the process broke my hand. Once everyone was gone I secured our store. At that time I could see water seeping through our ceiling and down the wall. As I prepared to leave I took one last look and saw that most of the people had gotten out and that others were being helped by some very brave people. I paused to look at the damage and thought maybe it was some type of explosion. As I exited our store through the back door I looked up and saw the planes tail hanging over the edge of the build. I waited outside to compose myself then walked to my car and drove away. Driving home I remember feeling conflicted, happy I had come away vertically unharmed and sad for the people were had gotten hurt or lost their lives.
I had just left SunValley Mall after completing my Christmas shopping and went home to wrap everything. I turned on the television and heard about the crash. I could hear lots of sirens for some time. I must have just missed the crash by mnutes.
I used to work with the guy who also had an evening job 3 weeks a year playing Santa Claus and he was working that night when the plane hit. He was injured and I remember when he came back to work for us a month later he showed us his badly burned Santa outfit he was wearing that night.
My brother and me had just walked in after slamming 6pk of Elephant Malt Liquor between the two of us. We were just getting to the balcony overlooking where kids were taking pictures with Santa right in front of Macy’s. It sounded like a bomb went off and a huge rush of air blew into the mall. We didn’t know what the heck happened. I grabbed my brother’s arm and started running away from the area, which we thought was bombed. About halfway to the food court, we stopped and decided that we need to go back to help people that injured, thinking that there must be many injuries. What we saw will stick with me forever, there were people on the ground and a fire burning around them, we couldn’t get to them. What seemed like a few seconds later, CPD and CFD were on the scene and pushing people back. My brother saw part of a wing and the propeller 100 yards down the hallway leading to the center of the mall, not far from where we were originally standing. CPD evacuated everyone around us through Macy’s. But my car was parked on the side that the plane hit, so we walked around to try to get to my car, which was parked less than 100 yards from where the plane was resting. My car was surrounded by police cars, fire trucks and ambulances.. We sat on a curb and smoke a joint watching them put out the fire and big out the injured. Finally, a fireman asked which car was mine, I said the Red 68 Chevelle SS right in front of the entrance, he said give me the keys, and he brought me my car. I’ll never forget the first words out of his mouth were, “this is a badass ride”. I thanked him, and we drove over to Best to finish our shopping. When we got home I thought my mother was going to kill us, she was white and trembling, she was pissed that we didn’t come straight home or at least call her. Remember that my brother and I had just smoked a joint
(don’t judge it was the 1980’s) we didn’t think of calling home, heck we didn’t think mom would even know about it until we had the chance to tell her. I went to CVHS, and one of the kids was a burn victim from the mall plane crash. Joe Galvin, if I remember correctly. Joe was badly burned in that fire. What a strong kid to put up with all the crap that kids said about him. I used to beat the crap out of the people that teased him, Joe was a cool dude, I’m not sure if it is still living or not, if he is, I hope you’re doing well Joe. What a messed up afternoon that was, my brother and I were very lucky to escape without any injuries, several people weren’t so lucky. That was a bad scene, that’s for sure.
Duck.
I was stationed overseas at the time and read about it in Stars and Stripes.
Where is the memorial at
I was 20 when this happened. I had a Christmas job at Hickory Farms (hickey Farts) down by the food court. One day, the Santa staff came over and recruited me to be Santa because he called in sick. I filled in for Santa twice before that day.
The staff came over that day saying the Santa guy was late (or sick, I don’t really remember) and wanted to know if I would fill in. I said yes. I was about half dressed when the actual Santa guy showed up and the sent me home.
I rode my bike home ( near Northgate HS). My mom started to cry when she saw me. She said that a “727” had crashed into the mall.
I dodged a bullet that day. Always wondered what happened to Santa guy. I heard that his suit caught fire and he jumped into the fountain, but I don’t really know.
I went back the next day for work but the mall was closed. I did get in and rode my bike around the mall and checked the damage. Really glad I missed that disaster.
I was pulling out of the side parking lot of Toys R Us at just the time the huge mushroom cloud appeared in the direction of the mall. My brother was a new ambulance attendant in the first response vehicle to arrive. He said they pulled up to multiple people running out of Macy’s on fire. He never got over it.