F-736

Why did the clear blue sky over Las Vegas turn tragic on April 21, 1958? We’re standing near the site of a devastating event, the crash of F-736, a United Airlines DC-7. This airliner, en route from Los Angeles to New York City, met its fate in a mid-air collision. Its journey that day included planned stops in Denver, Kansas City, and Washington, D.C. F-736 carried 47 souls: 42 passengers and 5 crew members. Among them were military personnel, civilian contractors linked to the Department of Defense, and even an air traffic control expert. The other aircraft involved was a U.S. Air Force F-100F Super Sabre, a two-seat fighter jet on a training mission from Nellis Air Force Base. The F-100F carried a flight instructor and his trainee, who flew under a hood, relying solely on instruments. This training exercise, known as the “KRAM procedure,” involved a teardrop-shaped descent using the KRAM radio station as a navigational point. At 21,000 feet, their paths converged. The F-736’s right wing was struck by the F-100F’s wing. The collision sent both aircraft spiraling down. A single mayday call from F-736, reporting a mid-air collision, was the last communication received. The DC-7, engulfed in flames, broke apart before crashing into the desert. The F-100F, also severely damaged, plummeted to the ground several miles away. There were no survivors from either aircraft. The investigation that followed didn’t assign blame to either crew. It highlighted the obstructed cockpit visibility in both aircraft. It also exposed a critical flaw in air traffic control: a lack of coordination between civilian and military controllers. The crash of F-736, along with other mid-air collisions of the era, served as a harsh wake-up call. It became a catalyst for sweeping changes, including the creation of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the standardization of air traffic control procedures, and improved communication between civilian and military aviation. This tragic event, though devastating, ultimately reshaped air safety, making the skies safer for all.