Human Factor Engineering in aviation, 1950s

Airplanes crash over the Grand Canyon in 1956:

On June 30 1956, a United Airlines Douglas DC-7 collided with a Trans World Airlines
Lockheed L-1049 Super Constellation over the Grand Canyon within the boundaries of Grand
Canyon National Park, resulting in the crash of both airliners. Both aircraft were initially under
the control of ATC, when due to a need to avoid thunderstorms, the TWA flight requested and
was granted a VFR (Visual Flight Rules) clearance. In a VFR clearance, the pilot is responsible
for his own separation. 

As a result of the collision, all 128 on board both flights died. This was the first commercial
airline crash to result in more than 100 deaths, and led to sweeping changes in the control of
flights in the United States.
Federal Aviation Act of 1958:
The Federal Aviation Act of 1958 was an act of the United States Congress, signed by President
Dwight D. Eisenhower that created the Federal Aviation Agency (later the Federal Aviation
Administration or the FAA) and abolished its predecessor, the Civil Aeronautics Administration
(CAA). The act empowered the FAA to oversee and regulate safety in the airline industry and
the use of American airspace by both military aircraft and civilian aircraft.
One of the most important changes was the mandate to use radar to monitor aircraft position and
was arguably the single most important change in Air Traffic Control till then.
Developing and operating a system of air traffic control and navigation for both civil and
military aircraft by:
 developing a safe and efficient use of navigable airspace
 operating a network of airport towers, air route traffic control centres, and flight service
stations
 developing air traffic rules, assigning the use of airspace, and controlling air traffic
 building/installing/maintaining/operating/auditing visual and electronic aids to air navigation
 sustaining other systems to support air navigation and air traffic control, including voice and
data communications equipment, radar facilities, computer systems, and visual display
equipment at flight service stations

Figure 1 Giant 40 foot search antenna for aircraft control Figure 2 Preston air traffic control unit 1958