Topic 1.3 Blog Discussion: The mid Air Crash Between TWA Flight 2 and United Airlines Flight 718

The mid-Air Crash Between TWA Flight 2 and United Airlines Flight 718

Flying on a commercial airliner is extremely safe today. However, air travel only became so reliable as a result of past incidents, which resulted in significant safety improvements. These catastrophes inspired huge technological breakthroughs in in-flight safety that maintain air travel regularly today, from mid-air crashes to onboard fires to a tired fuselage that turned a plane into a high-altitude convertible.

In the case of the TWA Flight 2 mid-air crash with United Airlines Flight 718, this has contributed to the establishment of the Federal Aviation Authority (FAA) which is to provide for the safe and efficient use of national airspace (McCartney, 2006). The high-profile mid-air accident has led to many believing that the systems used to control the national airspace are flawed and inadequate. The collision between the two aircraft was also due to the fact that both aircraft's pilots are trying to avoid a thundercloud while also doing a detour to give their passengers on board an aerial view of the grand canyon.

Retrieved from: https://aviation-safety.net/photo/1428/Douglas-DC-7-  (Ranter, n.d)

The CAB investigation stated that once the planes exited regulated airspace, it was up to the flight crews to avoid colliding with other planes (Ranter, 1956).  As a result, the CAB report appeared to imply that the two pilots were to fault for the catastrophe. For many Americans, though, the investigation's result was disappointing.

In the late 1950s, the collision highlighted the reality that America's air traffic control system was becoming inadequate (Ranter, 1956). However, taking the system as it was at the time and extending its authority to regulate all planes in US airspace at all times was just impossible. The 1956 tragedy not only encouraged the development and adoption of radar and computers to aid air travel, but it also sparked research into further safety equipment, such as radar transponders, weather radar, anti-collision systems, and flight data recorders, which began in the late 1950s. It would take years to develop and refine those new tools, but the inspiration to do so can be traced back to two planes taking a fatal detour over the Grand Canyon.

References

McCartney, S. (2006, June 20). Revisiting the Grand Canyon Crash 50 years later. The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved April 14, 2022, from https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB115076139828284649

Ranter, H. (1956, June 30). ASN aircraft accident Douglas DC-7 N6324C Grand Canyon, AZ. Aviation Safety Network > Retrieved April 14, 2022, from https://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=19560630-0

Ranter, H. (n.d.). Graphic - aviation safety network. Aviation Safety Network > Retrieved April 14, 2022, from https://aviation-safety.net/photo/1428/Douglas-DC-7-