One Of The Deadliest Accidents In U.S. History Happened Right Here In Arizona

On the morning of June 30, 1956, one of the deadliest aviation accidents in United States history occurred over the Grand Canyon in Arizona.

While Arizona is typically a pretty safe place to be in terms of major disasters – earthquakes, tornadoes and hurricanes are typically not a concern – this devastating tragedy will be forever remembered as one of the darkest days in Arizona.

Flickr/Nathan Rupert

One was a Lockheed L-1049 Super Constellation operated by Trans World Airlines and bound for Kansas City. The other was a Douglas DC-7 Mainliner operated by United Airlines and headed for Chicago. Both flights departed from Los Angeles International Airport.

Wikimedia Commons/Trans World Airlines

The United flight was carrying 53 passengers and five crew, while the Trans World plane had 64 passengers and six crew, including 11 off-duty TWA employees using free tickets.

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When the Trans World flight began experiencing turbulence, air traffic control granted its pilot permission to move 1,000 feet upwards through the clouds. However, the pilot of the United flight was never notified by air traffic control that the two planes would be flying over the same area at the same time, at around the same altitude.

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Wikimedia Commons/National Park Service

The collision sent both planes plummeting downwards. The United plane impacted near the south side of Chuar Butte and the Trans World plane landed in the northeast area of Temple Butte. The crash sites were both engulfed in flames.

WIkimedia Commons/Chloe93

The event was a wake-up call for the flight industry. Air traffic had almost doubled since World War II, but air traffic control standards had not been updated.

The crash resulted in new regulations that improved communications between the ground and pilots. Today, all commercial planes also have automated collision avoidance systems.

A common burial site and memorial for 66 of the 70 TWA passengers of the disasters is located in Citizen’s Cemetery, Flagstaff.

This event is a black mark on the history of Arizona, but it propelled plane safety in a positive direction. To learn more about terrible Arizona disasters, click here.