FAA Computer glitch that delayed flights repaired
November 20, 2009FAA Computer glitch that delayed flights repaired
A computer glitch that shut down most departing flights at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport and caused long delays across the country was repaired late Thursday morning, but it will likely take hours for flight schedules to return to normal. “Systems that allow for the automated processing of flight plan information have been restored,” Federal Aviation Administration spokeswoman Kathleen Bergen said at 10:30 a.m.
“We are investigating the cause of the problem,” Bergen said.
Bergen said earlier in the morning that the problem was affecting flights that had not yet taken off and that air traffic controllers “have radar coverage and communications with planes” already in the air.
She did not know how many airports were affected, but said the problem “is much more widespread than just Atlanta.”
Bergen said the glitch did not pose a safety problem, but was “more of a convenience issue.”
According to a statement released at mid-morning by the National Air Traffic Controllers Association, the computer system, known as the National Airspace Data Interchange Network, “failed in both of its locations — Atlanta and Salt Lake City.”
“We have some reports that the system is coming back online, which is good news, but there will be flight delays throughout the day due to the ‘ripple effect’ of this outage,” the union statement said.
The statement said the computer failure “has created a domino effect of problems throughout the country. It will take many hours for the system to catch up.”
AirTran had canceled 38 flights as of 9 a.m. because of the FAA’s computer problems, airline spokesman Christopher White said. “Dozens” more had been delayed, he said.
Anyone flying out of Hartsfield should check www.airtran.com before coming to the airport, White said.
A spokeswoman for Delta Air Lines would not release the number of flights canceled and delayed, but said at noon that “at this time, cancellations and delays are fairly minor.”
Katena Carvajales, a spokeswoman for Hartsfield, released the follwing statement just before 9 a.m.:
“Hartsfield-Jackson officials are monitoring the situation regarding the FAA’s automated flight plan system. The airport is working to minimize the impact on customers by bringing in additional staff and ensuring that all facilities are operational and fully maintained. All passengers are encouraged to contact the airlines regarding the statuses of their flights before they head to the airport.”
In August, 2008, a malfunction of a computer at the FAA center in Henry County that oversees flight plans for the eastern half of the United States delayed hundreds of flights across the country. During that failure, the FAA shifted the processing to a backup center in Salt Lake City.
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