In June 30, 1956 at around 1031hrs, a United Air Lines Douglas DC 7, N63240 and Trans World Airlines Lockheed 1049A, N6902C collided over the Great Canyon, both of them falling into the Canyon. Both regularly scheduled passenger service flights flew under Visual Flight Rules VFR.
Flight Plans
TWA Flight 2 was on an Instrument Flight Rules IFR, flying from Los Angeles in California to Kansas City in Missouri. It was scheduled to depart Los Angeles at 8:30hrs and was to fly through a controlled airway from its departure point in L.A through Daggett in California and then via various direct points off controlled airways arrive at Kansas City in Missouri. An airspeed of 270knots and a cruising altitude of 19000 feet was proposed in its flight plan. United Airlines Flight 718 2 was also on an Instrument Flight Rules from L.A to Chicago. It was scheduled to depart L.A at 08: 45hrs and was to fly through an established controlled airway from L.A via Palm Springs in California and through a series of direct points off controlled airways to its destination in Chicago (Block, 98). An airspeed of 288 knots and a cruising altitude of 21000 feet was proposed in its flight plan.
Chronology of collusion
TWA Flight 2 was cleared by L.A Air Route Traffic Control Center after a 09: 01hrs takeoff, and was approved to climb 19000 feet in visual flight rules VFR. United Air Lines Flight 718 took off three minutes later from L.A International Airport and was given en route clearance. Pilots of both airlines opted to fly off airways later on after take-off as controlled airways past California were not direct. United Airline Flight 718 made a position report to the Aeronautical Radio Inc. at several points in its journey. After indicating passing over Palm Springs, it indicated that it was still climbing to 21000. TWA Flight 2 through TWA company radio communications reported of approaching Daggett and asked for a change in assigned altitude, from 19000ft to 21000ft to avoid turbulence, and if not possible, 1000ft on top. This request was relayed to air traffic controllers in L.A who contacted Lake City control center the airspace that TWA Flight 2 was entering. L.A controller issued an amended clearance.
TWA operator gave clearance to TWA Flight 2 specifying that United Airline Flight 718 was at 21000 feet. At about 1031hrs, Aeronautical Radio communicators at San Francisco and Salt Lake City heard an unidentified radio transmission. On receiving the message, they were unable to understand the message but on playing back the recorded transmission, they determined that it was from United Airline Flight 718. A missing aircraft alert was issued when both flights failed to report on passing the Painted Desert line of position and attempt to initiate communication with both flights failed (Block, 98). In the evening, a pilot operating flights over the Grand Canyon leant of the missing aircraft and recalled earlier in the day seeing smoke emanating from the Canyon. On returning to the area, he identified the wreckage of TWA Flight 2 and reported his finding. The next day, he located a second wreckage, one mile away from the first.
Recovery and Investigation
The difficult task of recovery and investigation commenced, with topography and remoteness of the crash site making the process difficult. There were no reliable eyewitnesses who could account for the collision. The Civil Aeronautics Board CAB resulted to reconstructing the collision in relation to the wreckage. They concluded that the two airlines collided in the air. The CAB also analyzed prevailing weather conditions at the time of that the collision occurred. Ability of the two pilots to see and avoid each other was also evaluated (Block, 98).
Communication problems encountered with the Air Traffic Control system and traffic controllers
The system of air traffic control that is currently in place is as a result of disastrous aviation accidents that occurred in the past, including the midair collision over the Grand Canyon in 1956. The 1956 midair collision led to the use of search radar to track and locate aircrafts monitored by controllers. In 1960, another collision occurred in New York, resulting to the use of a beacon radar thus facilitating air traffic controllers with the altitude and individual identity of aircrafts under their supervision. The FAA manages the civilian Air Traffic Control Systems. It consists of twenty air traffic centers of management that facilitate the flow of air traffic between airports in the system and has incorporated airport control towers which separate and guide aircrafts through takeoffs, landing and taxiing.
Solutions to problems encountered by Air Traffic Control System and Traffic Controllers
Privatization of Air Traffic Control System
Various industry-related groups have proposed this. Proponents to this move claim that it will ensure that skies are safer. In addition to saving costs for the government and modernization of equipment to improve communication, privatization would also relieve the FAA which is overburdened from all air traffic control aspects, leaving it to handle oversight and regulation matters thus enabling it to devote resources exclusively to regulations of airline safety.
Liberating the Federal Aviation Administration
In a bid to fight the funds procurement problem in existence, a bill was passed by the House of Representatives. This would free the FAA from the Department of transport which posed great challenges by various inconveniences, thus enabling air traffic controllers’ have faster access to the best communication technology and improving profitability and efficiency of airlines (Campbell, 77).
Free-Flight
This is a joint initiative between the global aviation industry and the FAA. It is a satellite navigation system that is computer based. The system would enable pilots to select their routes by use of Global Positioning System GPS, a satellite network capable of determining the position of an aircraft with great accuracy, contrary to the past where such duties were carried out by air traffic controllers. Due to the radical nature of the Free-Flight system, pilots are enabled to select routes with least traffic and those with favorable wind conditions. The system is centered on the basic principle of maintaining safe separation of aircrafts. It has two zones: an alert zone and a safe zone. The zone size is determined by the speed and performance characteristics of aircrafts as well as surveillance, navigation and communication equipment.
This system has a variety of benefits (Campbell, 77). It can relay accurate information from the satellite system. It also promotes safety by enabling aircrafts to fly with little assistance from over clogged air traffic controllers. The system is anticipated to save domestic airlines from incurring various costs and could shorten the duration of some flights by twenty percent. The FAA views it as a necessary concept to handle the increase in air travel in the future. The FAA is evaluating and acquiring new technology in a bid to implement free flight. These systems include the GPS, traffic alert and collision avoidance systems, standard terminal automation and replacement systems and digital communications and dependent cooperative surveillance. Despite the fact that Free Flight has lots of benefits, it may compromise on safety, especially in congested air traffic areas. Full implementation of this system would require new air-based and ground communications, avionics and decision support systems and new navigation and surveillance equipment. The system greatly depends on sophisticated computer tracking technology and high tech satellites.
Work cited
In-flight breakup over the Atlantic Ocean, Trans World Airlines Flight 800 Boeing 747-131, N93119, near East Moriches, New York, July 17, 1996, DIANE Publishing pp96
Campbell, Ballard C. Disasters, Accidents, and Crises in American History: A Reference Guide to the Nation's Most Catastrophic Events. New York: Facts On File, 2008. Internet resource.
Block, Thomas. Touchdown, Flying Magazine, Vol. 129, No. 11 120 pages magazine publishers Nov 2002 ISSN 0015-4806
