A BAe-146-200 flight, PSA flight 1771, crashed near Paso Robles, California, resulting in the deaths of all 43 passengers and crew. The incident began with a gunshot fired by a recently discharged USAir employee who boarded the flight after bypassing security. The flight rapidly descended, and the aircraft was found intact with a pistol discovered in the wreckage with 6 expended rounds. Witness accounts indicate a scuffle and multiple shots occurred in the cockpit. The incident appears to have been caused by a combination of factors, including potential control interference, intentional sabotage, a passenger emotional reaction, or a combination of these, potentially exacerbated by inadequate company/operator management procedures and FAA standards.A BAe-146-200 flight, PSA flight 1771, crashed near Paso Robles, California, resulting in the deaths of all 43 passengers and crew. The incident began with a gunshot fired by a recently discharged USAir employee who boarded the flight after bypassing security. The flight rapidly descended, and the aircraft was found intact with a pistol discovered in the wreckage with 6 expended rounds. Witness accounts indicate a scuffle and multiple shots occurred in the cockpit. The incident appears to have been caused by a combination of factors, including potential control interference, intentional sabotage, a passenger emotional reaction, or a combination of these, potentially exacerbated by inadequate company/operator management procedures and FAA standards.