13 Plane Crashes That Changed Aviation
These tragedies triggered major technological advances that keep us flying safe today.
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Flying in a jetliner is extraordinarily safe. But air travel only became so reliable because previous accidents caused crucial safety improvements. From midair collisions, to on-board fires, to a fatigued fuselage that turned a plane into a high-altitude convertible, these tragedies triggered major technological advances in flight safety that keep air travel routine today.
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Upgrade: Collision avoidance and a better ATC
In the skies above the Grand Canyon on June 30, 1956, two planes that had recently taken off from Los Angeles International Airport—a United Airlines Douglas DC-7 headed to Chicago and a Trans World Airlines Lockheed L-1049 Super Constellation on its way to Kansas City—collided. All 128 passengers and crew aboard both flights were killed.