[crazydad]

28 Years ago I was 15 and experienced the most frightening moment in my life so far. Me and a buddy were sitting by the fountain in the Sun Valley Mall, all the sudden the Christmas tree burst into flames and we began to run. An instant later there was an explosion as the fuselage of the plane hit the bottom level no more then 30 feet from where I was running. I was slammed to the ground from the concussion. I turned around to go back to help, but I did not have the guts to help. There was sprinkler water and fire everywhere I only remember seeing the woman being pulled out of the fire and I will never forget under all the burns her beautiful brown eyes looking back and forth. She died a that night. If people don't believe in God then they are not aware of how he and his angels watch over people but he does. Christmas every year brings out memories of this day and I thank god more and more as I go on that me and my buddy lived. God bless the ones that did not make it.

[Riley]

I remember that. I remember briefly contemplating a run to Sun Valley Mall that evening and deciding not to.

[Patriot Babe]

My parents and I were planning to go to the mall that evening because Macy’s had an event and my mom wanted to go. I talked her out of it because something did not feel right. I was not sure what it was, now looking back I am glad. Yes I remember that night and hearing all the sirens. Also how doctors and nurses who did not have to work all called in to help.

[HerrBlucher]

I assume it was a private plane either approaching or departing Buchanan airport. What was the cause of the crash?

In September 1972 a privately owned F86 crashed on take off into a Farrells ice cream parlour and wiped out about 14 people. The pilot simply lacked experience and got behind the power curve.

[exDemMom]

I remember hearing about that, because it happened soon after I moved to the east coast and I was still homesick. My first apartment was a few miles away, in Concord. I shopped there all the time.

[Mark17]

I remember it too. I was an air traffic controller at Travis AFB at the time.

[Disambiguator]

There have been a bunch of crashes at the Eastridge Mall in San Jose, which was built at the end of the runway at Reid-Hillview airport (RHV). So now, of course, people are calling for the airport (which was there first) to be closed.

[wilsonfm]

I was upstairs in line for santa claus with my niece. I was also 15 at the time. I dont remember the impact - the first thing I remember is jumping up from the ground the exact moment the fuel ignited. It burned the backs of my ears and I took off like a bat out of hell. It was definitely flight not fight. About the time I got to the other end of the mall I realized my niece wasnt with me I had left her (had serious guilt over that one for years). So they wouldnt let anyone back in the mall and my mother came out of macys found my niece immediately (she was fine she had covered her head with her jacket when thrown to the ground) Of course my mother couldnt find me so she was digging through the rubble upstairs while I went on camera for an interview indicating I couldnt find my niece. This unfortunately was seen by my sister. You cant make this shit up. It was 2 hours before we found each other. I can empathize with you on this one.

Michael Wilson
michael.wilson@ou.edu

Email me if you want to write about your experience I would like to exchange stories if you are interested.