Editing Grand Canyon (section)

=== 1956 air disaster ===
{{Main|1956 Grand Canyon mid-air collision}}

In 1956, the Grand Canyon was the site of the deadliest commercial aviation disaster in history at the time.

On the morning of June 30, 1956, a [[TWA]] [[Lockheed Super Constellation]] and a [[United Airlines]] [[Douglas DC-7]] departed Los Angeles International Airport within three minutes of one another on eastbound transcontinental flights. Approximately 90 minutes later, the two propeller-driven airliners collided above the canyon while both were flying in unmonitored airspace.

The wreckage of both planes fell into the eastern portion of the canyon, on [[Temple Butte|Temple]] and [[Chuar Butte]]s, near the confluence of the Colorado and Little Colorado rivers. The disaster killed all 128 passengers and crew members aboard both planes.

This accident led to the institution of high-altitude airways and direct radar observation of aircraft (known as [[Air traffic control|positive control]]) by en route ground controllers.

{{wide image|Cedar Ridge, Grand Canyon.jpg|1000px|South Kaibab Trail at Cedar Ridge. [[O'Neill Butte]] on the left.}}