Crash Program

When the House Government Operations Subcommittee, stirred to action by last month's disastrous mid-air collision of two airliners over the Grand Canyon, looked into the whole question of aviation safety, it found that the U.S. was simply not prepared to handle the traffic jam in its skies. Civil Aeronautics Administrator Charles J. Lowen suggested that progress could be made if Congress would approve the balance of funds for CAA's five-year plan to blanket the sky with long-range radar, which shows the exact position of all airborne planes. The committee chairman, West Virginia Democrat Robert H. Mollohan, then went Lowen one better. Why not telescope the CAA safety project into three years?

Last week President Eisenhower urged Congress to take off on the crash program by adding $68 million to the $40 million already appropriated to CAA for fiscal 1957. The extra money would buy more radar, a better ground-to-air communications net, another 80 omnidirectional radio ranges for planes to ride and more trained CAA ground controllers.

In the past, Congress and the Commerce Department have been reluctant to spend for air safety. But in view of last month's fatal collision, the supplemental appropriation is expected to fly through without a bump.

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