The Grand Canyon midair collision. A stimulus for change

Commercial aviation in the United States developed rapidly from a nucleus of pilots who returned from World War I, barnstormed and flew primitive airmail routes, and were hired by the new commerical airlines of the 1930s. The death of U.S. Senator Bronson Cutting in a 1935 crash was an important stimulus to improved governmental regulation of civil aviation. The air traffic control system, primitive until and throughout World War II, was soon proven to be inadequate for postwar demands. The midair collision of two large airliners over the Grand Canyon in June 1956 that killed the 128 persons on board was itself a strong stimulus for serious efforts, particularly in improving air traffic control systems. This and many other difficult problems in aviation safety have been addressed in the subsequent 33 years, some with success, although it has not always been immediate, and with major accidents still occurring. Commercial air travel is safe and widely accepted, however, and there is promise for additional important advances here.