The Enactment of the Federal Aviation of 1958
Abstract
The Grand Canyon midair crash of 1956 increased the demand to develop efficient air management systems and have an independent regulatory body. Before the 1958 enactment, air travel in the US was controlled and regulated by the Civil Aeronautics Authority (CAA) under the Department of Commerce. The CAA was constantly faced with several challenges, including budgetary cuts and a lack of independence to implement air travel safety measures. This analysis examines the events that led to the midair crash and the steps taken afterward leading up to the Federal Aviation Authority’s enactment.
Summary
Through an Act of Congress, the Enactment of the FAA led to its inception as the civil aviation governing and regulatory body. The primary reason for this enactment was the need to have an independent civil aviation agency in the FAA that could ensure safety and uphold high air travelstandards. Moreover, a series of serious accidents leading up to the enactment, such as the Grand Canyon collision of 1956, increased the demand for safety and efficiency in American airspace.
The Grand Canyon collision that occurred on June 30, 1956, between United 718 and TWA 2, rocked the aviation industry. The incident involved some of the largest commercial airplanes in existence at the time, a Douglas DC-7 and a Lockheed Super Constellation killing all passengers aboard the two aircrafts (Grand Canyon Collision, n.d.). The high number of deaths caused by the crash increased the need to implement significant air traffic control improvements, resulting in the FAA’s formation and widespread use of radar systems on commercial planes.
Problem
The main problem, in this case, is air collisions. The Grand Canyon collision in 1956 is an example of an air collision incident. Some of the factors that led to the midair collision include lack of independence in the CAA. The authority was established under the Department of Commerce, meaning civil aviation issues had to pass through numerous bureaucratic process before approval. Budget cuts that were introduced after World War II also drastically impacted the CAA. Moreover, the use of position reports to relay an aircraft’s location to air traffic control was incredibly cumbersome. This complexity meant that the risk of error was much higher when using position reports in uncontrolled airspace.
The slow rate of adoption of radar systems at the time also meant that their use was limited to making instrument approaches during bad weather conditions. As a result, the increasing number of airplanes competing for local airspace made it difficult for air traffic personnel to keep track, raising the risk of collisions.
Significance of the Problem
The Grand Canyon collision and a series of other minor collisions that followed contributed to the formation of the Airways Modernization Board (AMB) in 1957. The board was created to improve airspace management systems and cope with civil and military traffic (Lawrence, 2015). The midair collision also resulted in the enactment of the Federal Aviation Act, resulting in the creation of an independent federal agency to regulate both military and civil aviation. The newly formed FAA was assigned new roles and the authority to implement changes without interference. Additionally, all air safety research and development and other integral functions, such as suspension of airmen, were consolidated and placed into the agency. This contributed to the widespread adoption and implementation of radar systems in air traffic control.
Two Alternative Actions
The first alternative action taken was the setup of the Airways Modernization Board (AMB) in 1957, to help develop an airspace management system that could handle increasing complex demands in air travel. The second alternative action taken was to group together civilian and military air travel into one regulatory agency.
Recommendation
The collision would have been avoided had there been widespread use of weather radar systems at the time. Moreover, Captain Jack Gandy’s insistence on ascending beyond an elevation of 19,000 feet even after being cautioned about another plane flying at the height of 21,000 feet ultimately led to the collision. Had the aircraft had direct contact with air traffic control, the crash might have been avoided.
References
Grand Canyon Collision. (n.d.). Grand Canyon collision. doney.net Established in 1998. https://www.doney.net/aroundaz/grandcanyoncrash.htm
Lawrence, H. W. (2015). Aviation and the Role of Government. [VitalSource Bookshelf]. Retrieved from https://online.vitalsource.com/#/books/9781465273802/