70 years ago, on June 30, 1956, a tragedy occurred in the skies above Grand Canyon National Park when two aircraft, a TWA Super Constellation and a United Airlines DC-7, collided in midair.
Both aircraft crashed inside the canyon and all 128 passengers and crew, from both aircraft, tragically died. It was the deadliest civilian air disaster in American history at the time and bought about immense changes to air traffic regulations and infrastructure in the United States including the creation of the Federal Aviation Agency.
The aviation accident site was designated a National Historic Landmark in 2014, to preserve the stories of those who lost their lives, and to remember the significance the tragedy had on world-wide air travel.
To honor the those lost in the crash, Grand Canyon National Park is hosting the 70th Anniversary Commemoration Symposium at Shrine of the Ages Auditorium from 3:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. The event is free, and open to the public. The event is sponsored by the Grand Canyon Historical Society (GCHS), the Patrons of the 1956 Grand Canyon Midair Collision, and Grand Canyon National Park.
70th Anniversary Commemoration Symposium Speakers:
John Hasha – Nephew of United Air Lines Flight 718 Flight Engineer Girardo Fiore, and Secretary of GCHS.
Mike Nelson – Patrons Group President and author of We Are Going In: The Story of the 1956 Grand Canyon Midair Collision
Ian Hough, NPS – Archaeological and site work for the National Historic Landmark nomination.
Mike McComb – FAA crash investigator and aviation archaeologist
