| This special looked at the role of air traffic controllers in the airline industry, and took a look at the Next Generation Air Transportation System, a new technology meant to eliminate mid-air collisions by reducing overall dependence on radar and radio, as well as delegating some of the air traffic controllers' tasks to computers on board each plane. Type of aircrafts: Training Air Wing Two: Lockheed L-1049 Super Constellation. United Airlines Flight 718: Douglas DC-7 Mainliner. Aeroméxico Flight 498: McDonnell Douglas DC-9-32. N4891F: Piper PA-28-181 Archer. Avianca Flight 52: Boeing 707-320B. Gol Transportes Aéreos Flight 1907: Boeing 737-800. N600XL: Embraer Legacy 600. V9 2937: Tupolev Tu-154M. European Airlines Flight 611: Boeing 757-23APF. Cause of disasters: Training Air Wing Two / United Airlines Flight 718: Mid-air collision over uncontrolled airspace. Aeroméxico Flight 498 / N4891F: Mid-air collision, pilot error (Piper), ATC error, outdated radar. Avianca Flight 52: Numerous delays, fuel starvation, pilot error and ATC error. Gol Transportes Aéreos Flight 1907 / N600XL: Mid-air collision resulting from ATC error, design flaw (Embraer), pilot error (Embraer). V9 2937 / European Airlines Flight 611: Mid-air collision, ATC error, pilot error. |
