A United Airlines DC-8, Flight 826 collided with a Trans World Airlines Constellation, Flight 266 over Staten Island, New York. The Connie crashed onto an army airbase on Staten Island. The DC-8 crashed in Brooklyn. Everyone on both airliners was killed, six people on the ground were killed in Brooklyn.
The DC-8's crew was blamed for the collision, as the aircraft was far off course in instrument conditions.
Among pilots, the crash was regarded as "United's turn", after the mid-air collision ov a UA DC-7 and a TWA Connie over the Grand Canyon in 1956.
The Grand Canyon crash, in part, resulted in the air traffic control system we have today. Prior to that crash, airliners en-route were in radio contact with their airline dispatchers, who then relayed information to and from Air Traffic Control. ATC did not have radar, they worked from position reports made by pilots. ATC had no idea that there was a problem until both aircraft failed to make their next position reports.
Airliners also flew pretty much the way light airplanes still do, with flight by visual flight rules or VFR-on-top, if the captain opted to. Following the Grand Canyon crash, there was a push to create a national radar-based ATC system, which accelerated after another collision in 1958, this time between a UA DC-7 and an Air Force F-100. The Civil Aviation Authority was abolished, the Federal Aviation Administration was created, airliners were required to fly under instrument flight rules, military aircraft flew under the FAA's rules and all aircraft flying IFR were in direct contact with ATC.
Following the 1960 mid-air collision, all aircraft operating below 10,000' were restricted to a maximum airspeed of 250 knots (or their minimum airspeed, if higher). The UA DC-8 had, at times, flown over 400 knots just before the crash.
Since, then, the changes have been more evolutionary. Terminal Control Areas and Terminal Radar Service Areas were added around the busier airports. Radar transponders were installed on airplanes; now, virtually every airplane with an electrical system has one. Altitude encoders were added to the transponders, allowing ATC to see the altitude of their radar targets. GPS has been slowly replacing VOR navigation and NDB-based approaches, LORAN is being dismantled partly due to cost issues, though many argue that is a bad idea to move entirely to a satellite-based navigation system.
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Thursday, December 16, 2010
2 comments:
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The outfit created in 1958 was the Federal Aviation Agency. It didn't become the Federal Aviation Administration until around 1967 when the DOT was created. That was the brand new name on the plaque when I hired in. Fortunately for paperwork purposes, the initials remained the same...
ReplyDeleteLRod
ZJX, ORD, ZAU retired
Oh, and while the 250 knot rule was initially a consequence of the NYC crash, it was 250/below 100/within 30 miles of the airport.
ReplyDeleteIt wasn't until after the TW553 crash in March, 1967 that the rule was applied everywhere in the continental U.S. below 100.
"Continental U.S." is a keyword. I was in the jumpseat of a National DC-10 from LGA to FLL (probably 1975) which flew the "ocean" segment from ILM to FLL and was amazed as we sailed through 100 at 300+ IAS. I very diplomatically mentioned the 250 knot thing and they pointed out it didn't apply offshore. That was interesting.
LRod
ZJX, ORD, ZAU retired