The Air Commerce Act of 1926 was a result of the Morrow Board which found that aviation could play a key part in national defense, that non-military aviation showed commercial aviation potential, and that the government needed to step up in terms of safety and regulation. Its purpose was to promote air commerce, but before the enactment there was no official statement declaring the governments role in the field of aviation. By passing the statue the government began the creation of a national commercial aviation industry. This statue tasked the Department of Commerce with the responsibility of the following; the responsibility of promulgating and enforcing safety regulation, registration and licensing of aircraft, producing aeronautical charts, providing meteorological advice and reports, investigating accidents, and the certification and medical examination of pilots. In order to carry out its newly appointed tasking the Department of Commerce developed a Aeronautics Branch, who became responsible for all of the new changes. …show more content…
The first two crashes shined light on the lack of enforcement of aeronautical regulations. These were the 1931 TWA Fokker Trimotor crash that killed the famous football coach Knute Rockne, and the 1935 TWA DC-2 crash that killed senator Bronson Cutting. These events led to a congressional investigation that found the Department of Commerce was not enforcing its rules. Unfortunately, while the investigation was under way, many more crashes occurred five alone in the winter of 1937. Seeing that the current trend would effect its growth and commerce, the airlines took initiative in preventing more crashes. In 1935 American Airlines built the first Air Traffic Control located in Newark, New Jersey. Later on six other airlines would create an agreement that would establish the company, Air Traffic Control Incorporated based out of both Chicago and