1956 Grand Canyon mid-air collision

Uncommon card · No. 142281

On June 30, 1956, a Lockheed L-1049A Super Constellation operating as TWA Flight 2, was struck by a Douglas DC-7 Mainliner operating as United Air Lines Flight 718 over Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona. The Constellation fell into the canyon, while the DC-7 slammed into a cliff. All 128 people on board both aircraft died, making it the first commercial airline incident to exceed one hundred fatalities. Both aircraft had departed Los Angeles International Airport minutes apart from each other and headed for Chicago and Kansas City, respectively. The collision took place in uncontrolled airspace, where it was the pilots' responsibility to maintain separation ("see and be seen"). This highlighted the antiquated state of air traffic control, which became the focus of major aviation reforms.

Read on Wikipedia · Image Grand_Canyon_landscape.jpg: High Contrast derivative work: Alex Alex Lep, CC BY-SA 3.0