At 128 fatalities , the Grand Canyon collision became the deadliest U.S. commercial airline disaster and deadliest air crash on U.S. soil of any kind , surpassing United Airlines Flight 409 the year before . It was surpassed in both respects on December 16 , 1960 , by the 1960 New York mid-air collision ( another case involving United and TWA aircraft )
United Airlines Flight 409
United Airlines Flight 409
1956 Grand Canyon mid-air collision