Grand Canyon Airliner Collision To Be Commemorated

Above, the general area where the two airliners fell after the collision. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Four days from today will be the 70th anniversary of the airline collision over the Grand Canyon. Commemoration events will take place.

The mid-air collision of two airliners led to the formation of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). 

According to the Grand Canyon Historical Society:

On June 30, 2026, the 70th anniversary of the 1956 mid-air collision will be recognized with a memorial service at Grand Canyon. This will be an all-day event starting at 9 a.m. at the Desert View Overlook amphitheater.  First, talks at the overlook. Next, a visit to the Pioneer Cemetery in Grand Canyon Village. At 3 p.m. an "Ask The Experts" panel will present at Shrine of the Ages. The days event will end at 6 p.m.

On July 1, a visit to Flagstaff Citizens’ Cemetery from 10:30 a.m. to 1:15 p.m. where victims will be recognized who perished on TWA Flight 2. There will be lectures given and a time for questions and answers.

Join us to recognize this tragic, historic event. The Patrons of the 1956 Midair Collision is the primary organizer of this event.

If one visits the Desert View Overlook at Grand Canyon National Park, they will see permanent plaques detailing the tragedy. 

Above, the description of the tragedy at Desert View. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

From Wikipedia:

On June 30, 1956, a Lockheed L-1049A Super Constellation operating as TWA Flight 2, was struck by a Douglas DC-7 Mainliner operating as United Air Lines Flight 718 over Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona. The Constellation fell into the canyon, while the DC-7 slammed into a cliff. All 128 people on board both aircraft died, making it the first commercial airline incident to exceed one hundred fatalities. Both aircraft had departed Los Angeles International Airport minutes apart from each other and headed for Chicago and Kansas City, respectively. The collision took place in uncontrolled airspace, where it was the pilots' responsibility to maintain separation ("see and be seen"). This highlighted the antiquated state of air traffic control, which became the focus of major aviation reforms.

 

Above, the memorial plaque at Desert View overlook. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Cruise Passengers Concerned As FAA Cuts Flights

It's a good thing that I have no plans for any air travel during the holiday season. I did fly to Des Moines, Iowa last month which went smoothly.

Thanks to the Schumer Shutdown, starting today, airlines will be cutting flights by 10% due to call-offs by air traffic controllers who have missed getting paid during two pay cycles.

This cut in flights may affect those who are about to take a cruise.

According to Cruise Hive:

Cruise guests heading for upcoming cruises are bracing for widespread flight disruptions after the FAA confirmed it plans to reduce air traffic by 10 percent beginning Friday, November 7, 2025, across 40 major US airports.

The move, tied to the ongoing government shutdown and staffing limits among air traffic controllers, has cruise passengers scrambling for answers days before they are set to fly to their cruise port.

To read more, go here. 

The 1956 Grand Canyon Mid-Air Collision (Video)

Today marks the 69th anniversary of the Grand Canyon airliner collision. 

The accident ushered in the creation of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

Here's a fairly new video (three months) on the disaster (click on to view):

Above, the crash site from the Desert View Watchtower viewpoint. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Above, a memorial plaque at the Desert View Watchtower. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Above, a description of the crash at the Desert View Watchtower. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Delta Airlines Issues Apology To Passengers Over Outage

Above, a Delta jet at the Twin Falls, Idaho airport. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Next month, I am to go with a friend on a cruise to the Bahamas. The package includes flights to and from Miami via Delta Airlines.

Currently, Delta and other airlines are canceling flights. This is fallout from a massive IT outage that took place last Friday.

According to ABC News:

Delta apologized for its widespread cancellations and delays over the last several days, issuing a new message Wednesday to customers affected by the fallout from the global IT outage last Friday.

The airline also says it plans to issue 10,000 bonus miles and offers to reimburse "reasonable expenses."

“Please accept our sincere apologies for the disruption to your recent travel plans caused by a vendor technology outage affecting airlines and companies worldwide,” the airline said. “Delta teams have been working tirelessly to restore our operation to get our customers safely to their final destinations. We understand that unexpected disruptions like this are difficult for everyone and do not reflect the operational reliability and experience you have come to know and expect from us.”

Delta also said that if passengers incurred “any hotel, meal, or transportation expenses while in transit resulting from this flight disruption,” they may submit a claim to the airline for a reasonable expenses reimbursement.

“Please note that we do not reimburse prepaid expenses, including but not limited to hotel reservations at your destination, vacation experiences, lost wages, concerts, or other tickets,” Delta said.  

Thousands of flights were canceled in the U.S. after American Airlines, United and Delta asked the FAA for global ground stop on all flights.

We are keeping an eye on further developments along with weather conditions. After all, we're in hurricane season.

To read more, go here. 

Hawaii Flights: FAA News May Concern You

Above, a Boeing 757. Wikipedia photo.

When it comes to aviation, if there isn't one thing to be concerned about, it's another.

The latest comes from Beat of Hawaii over some problems found on some Boeing 757 jets.

They wrote:

We are flying from Hawaii and back in a few weeks on United Airlines. However, this week’s news, reported first by FlightGlobal, has definitely caught our attention. The reason is, we are scheduled to fly twice on these airplanes. Given how fortunate Beat of Hawaii is to have so many aviation industry folk reading, we ask whether we should be concerned or not?

FAA requires inspection for frame cracks on older 757 plane wings used on Hawaii flights.

A highly regarded plane with a great history in Hawaii flights has come under scrutiny. The Federal Aviation Administration said it will now require that Boeing 757 aircraft be inspected after airlines found cracks on 757 airplane wings.

To read more, go here. 

FAA Plan To Slash Hawaii Volcanoes Helicopter Tours 88%

Above, approaching a Kilauea crater by helicopter in 2016. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

As one might expect, the current eruption of Kilauea Volcano on Hawaii's Big Island in Hawaiian Volcanoes National Park is drawing a lot of spectators. Along with that, demand for helicopter tours over the volcano are in high demand.

Getting a helicopter tour will be harder if a plan by the FAA and the National Park Service goes into effect. The plan is to slash tours by 88%.

Beat of Hawaii reported:

On an auspicious day when USGS just announced and shared photos (above) of the Kilauea volcano once again erupting, as seen within the Halemaumau crater, a visitors-welcome Zoom meeting will take place regarding the proposed drastic reduction in helicopter tours in the area. During the last eruption, your editors found it impossible to get a helicopter tour when they visited. With the planned reduction we imagine that tours will become far more costly too.

The FAA and the National Park Service (NPS) have issued a draft Air Tour Management Plan (ATMP) with significant proposed changes and a massive reduction in helicopter tours for both Haleakala National Park and Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. The issue is the overall environmental impact of the air tours, especially the constant noise helicopters create.

We have to say this is a good idea. We’ve hiked at Waimea Canyon and Kokee State Park on Kauai many times,  only to have helicopters flying over us incessantly at the end of the trail.

The FAA and NPS plan is to severely limit helicopter tours at two Hawaii locations: the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park on the Big Island and the Haleakalā National Park on Maui. If you have any opinion on this, you are urged to comment before the June 20 deadline. More information is below.

I took a helicopter tour of Hawaii Volcanoes National Park in 2016 and it was an enjoyable and interesting experience.

To read more, go here.

All Domestic US Flights Grounded By FAA

All domestic U.S. flights have been grounded due to a "technical" computer error this morning by the Federal Aviation Administration.

According to he Daily Caller:

All domestic flights in the U.S. were grounded Wednesday morning due to a technical error.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is working to restore a system that allows air traffic control to alert pilots when there are potential hazards on their flight path.

“We are performing final validation checks and reloading the system now. Operations across the National Airspace System are affected,” the FAA wrote on Twitter. “We will provide frequent updates as we make progress.”

Roughly an hour after their initial tweet, the FAA sent an update to followers, announcing that the agency had “ordered airlines to pause all domestic departures until 9am Eastern Time,” to allow for research to be done on the “integrity of flight and safety information.”

To read more, go here. 

Hawaii Flight Turbulence Injures 20

Air turbulence is the the only thing about flying that I don't like. I've experienced some over the years, the worst being in April 1976 while flying from Los Angeles to Las Vegas. It was so bad that passengers across the aisle from me got their rosary beads out.

That pales to comparison to what passengers on a flight from Phoenix to Honolulu experienced Sunday.

TravelPulse reported:

A Hawaiian Airlines flight experienced severe turbulence on Sunday, leaving at least 20 people injured, including three crew members.

According to Reuters.com, Hawaiian Airlines Flight 35 was en route from Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport to Daniel K. Inouye International Airport in Honolulu with 278 passengers and 10 crew members on board when the pilots reported experiencing severe turbulence.

The Federal Aviation Administration said the Hawaiian Airlines Airbus A330 was around 30 minutes away from landing in Honolulu when the incident occurred. The flight crew declared an emergency and the plane was able to land safely at about 10:50 a.m. local time.

To read more, go here.