FAA computer glitch/flight plans

[sevenstrokeroll]

cnn is reporting that the FAA computer system which accepts flight plans has gone down in both atlanta and salt lake city.

stories?

[nippysweetie]

Comms network problems causing delays at a couple of dozen airports stateside, says the FAA

[nippysweetie]

... but contact has not been lost with any flights and no radar problems reported. A computer in Atlanta seems to have failed and delays appear inevitable

[ukdean]

Sky reporting major air traffic delays at airports in the us due to a communication failure, yes sound strange. Anyone have an update

[Mark in CA]

August 26, 2008
FAA Says Computer Problem Delaying Flights
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Filed at 3:48 p.m. ET

ATLANTA (AP) -- The Federal Aviation Administration says a communication failure at a Georgia facility that processes flight plans for the eastern half of the U.S. is causing flight delays around the country.

FAA spokeswoman Kathleen Bergen says there are no safety issues and officials are still able to speak to pilots on planes on the ground and in the air.

She says she doesn't know how many flights are being affected.

Bergen says the problem that occurred Tuesday afternoon involves an FAA facility in Hampton, Ga., south of Atlanta, that processes flight plans. She says there has been a failure in a communication link that transmits the data to a similar facility in Salt Lake City.

As a result, the Salt Lake City facility has to process those flight plans, causing delays.

[jet_noseover]

Map showing delays

Flight Delay Information - Air Traffic Control System Command Center (http://www.fly.faa.gov/flyfaa/usmap.jsp)

story:
Breaking: FAA computer failure slows nation-wide air traffic | IT Project Failures | ZDNet.com (http://blogs.zdnet.com/projectfailures/?p=996)

[nippysweetie]

Computer failure in Atlanta. No loss of contact with flights, no indications of terrorist involvement (someone will ask), but delays inevitable at a couple of dozen US airports. Radar not affected

[Sawbones]

CNN reporting FAA's computer system suffering a "glitch" and is unable to accept flight plans. It appears that data link clearances aren't available. Have just listened in to Boston Clearance Delivery who are asking flights for aircraft type, requested level and destination before eventually issuing clearances verbally.

Things definitely out of the ordinary and significant departure delays are the result.

[Guest 112233]

BBC R4 at 10 O'Clock local - Reporting major Air traffic Delays throughout the USA. Delays origionating in the southern USA, but as per BBC of late - no substantiation to the details in the Report . No details given in the Bullitin

Crappy Half Baked Info. (I pay for this ?).

Job for Boris.

CAT III

[slatch]

The AFTN gateway at Atlanta broke down. This is where most users from the east cost send flight plan data to be entered in the "system". While there is another facility in Salt lake City it is unable to keep up with the amount of traffic it is recieving and flight plan and other information is being delayed. Once a flight plan is in the system it is not effected by the outage. So in a nutshell, the aircraft calls for a clearance and the tower says "no flight plan on file" thus the flight is delayed as someone tries to get it refiled through company or air traffic controllers manually enter the information from the pilots.

"The Aeronautical Fixed Telecommunication Network (AFTN) is a worldwide system of aeronautical fixed circuits provided, as part of the aeronautical fixed service, for the exchange of messages and/or digital data between aeronautical fixed stations having the same or compatible communications characteristics. AFTN comprises aviation entities including: ANS (Air Navigation Services) providers, aviation service providers, airport authorities and government agencies, to name a few. It exchanges vital information for aircraft operations such as distress messages, urgency messages, flight safety messages, meteorological (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meteorology) messages, flight regularity messages and aeronautical administrative messages."

[finfly1]

This made the local evening tv news in NYC. Taking a peek at the website that outlines ATC Delays, KLGA was shown with DELAYS WEATHER/WIND.

Fair enough, but the metar for same shows winds, variable at six knots.

Seems a little ....... suspect.