Grand Canyon airliner collision
The Grand Canyon airliner collision, which occurred on June 30, 1956, involved a tragic mid-air crash between Trans World Airlines (TWA) Flight 2 and United Airlines (UA) Flight 718. Shortly after departing Los Angeles, both aircraft were flying under instrument flight rules but switched to visual flight rules shortly thereafter, which allowed them to navigate visually rather than relying solely on instruments. This change led to both planes operating at the same altitude, ultimately resulting in a collision over the Grand Canyon. Despite a warning from a flight controller regarding the proximity of UA Flight 718, TWA pilot Jack Gandy was not adequately informed of the potential danger, contributing to the disaster.
After the incident, which claimed the lives of all 128 people on board both flights, a thorough investigation revealed significant lapses in air traffic control and communication protocols. The tragedy highlighted the urgent need for improved air safety measures, prompting reforms in air traffic management, including the establishment of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in 1958. The collision serves as a pivotal moment in aviation history, emphasizing the importance of stringent safety standards and efficient air traffic control systems to prevent similar occurrences in the future.
Grand Canyon airliner collision
The Event Collision of two commercial aircraft over the Grand Canyon
Date June 30, 1956
Place Grand Canyon, northern Arizona
The 128 people who died in the Grand Canyon collision made it the worst airline accident since the advent of commercial flight to that date. The tragedy spurred official agencies to reform air safety standards.
At 9:01 a.m. on June 30, 1956, Trans World Airlines (TWA) Flight 2 left Los Angeles carrying seventy people on a flight to Kansas City. Three minutes later United Airlines (UA) Flight 718 left Los Angeles on its way to Chicago, carrying fifty-eight passengers and crew. Both pilots were flying under instrument flight rules (IFR), requiring them to fly prearranged routes, check in with air traffic control, and receive permission to fly at specific altitudes. According to their flight plans, the two aircraft should have been at different altitudes when their paths crossed.
Shortly after takeoff, TWA pilot Jack Gandy and UA pilot Robert Shirley changed to visual flight rules (VFR). Under VFR, pilots could fly at higher altitudes in uncontrolled (unsupervised) airspace but were expected to visually identify and avoid nearby planes. TWA pilot Gandy had received permission from flight control to fly one thousand feet above the highest clouds. Flight controllers on the ground did not realize this could place TWA Flight 2 at the same altitude as UA Flight 718.
At 10:31 a.m., flight controllers received a garbled radio message, later identified as the last transmission from the United Airlines flight; there were no further radio communications from either plane. A private pilot spotted wreckage from both planes in a remote area of the Grand Canyon along the Colorado River. Air Force and Army helicopters reached the crash sites on July 1 but found no survivors.
The Investigation
The United States Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB), the Air Line Pilots Association, and the Air Transport Association conducted a ten-month investigation of the accident. CAB reconstructed the accident from the condition of debris at the crash sites, taking into account weather conditions, cloud cover, the physical layout of each plane’s cockpit, and human limitations. CAB concluded that neither pilot had seen the other plane until it was too late to avoid a midair collision.
One flight controller had warned Gandy that Shirley’s plane was nearby, but Shirley had not been similarly warned about the proximity of the TWA flight. CAB noted that flight controllers were not required to keep pilots informed about nearby air traffic; the Civil Aeronautics Administration did not have the necessary funding or staffing to provide more extensive air traffic control.
Impact
The Grand Canyon collision increased public awareness of air safety standards. Soon after the incident, the Air Line Pilots Association and Air Transport Association agreed pilots should avoid flying by visual flight rules. Several more commercial flights nearly collided following the Grand Canyon crash. Congress allocated funds to improve air traffic control with more personnel and better radar equipment. The independent Federal Aviation Administration was created in 1958 as part of a movement to improve air safety, replacing the government-run Civil Aeronautics Administration.
Bibliography
Knight, Clayton, and K. S. Knight. “Collision Hazards.” In Plane Crash: The Mysteries of Major Air Disasters and How They Were Solved. New York: Greenberg, 1958. Provides a detailed description of the crash.
Mallan, Lloyd. Great Air Disasters. Greenwich, Conn.: Fawcett, 1962. Discusses several air disasters, including the Grand Canyon crash, with a thorough account of the subsequent Civil Aeronautics Administration investigation.