The Sky is Big Enough to See Other Planes
How the 1956 Grand Canyon Disaster Exposed the Deadly Limits of Early Aviation Legislation
The Grand Canyon crash was one of the deadliest aviation disasters in US history and was largely caused by legislation and technology not keeping up with invention.
In 1956, when air traffic control and commercial flights were still developing, two planes collided at 21,000 feet above the canyon. One hundred and twenty-eight people died.
The disaster led to the creation of the Federal Aviation Administration, but it’s unclear why it wasn’t foreseen and prevented before it happened.
