Los Angeles Center 18 JUL 06

[av8boy]

A pickup truck hit a power pole near LA Center Tuesday, resulting in loss of power at the ARTCC. Apparently, the backup generators came on, as advertised, but after an hour or so a switch failed and the Center went dark.

http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/news/local/states/california/northern_california/15076719.htm

Because the ARTCC went down, the USAF delayed a missile test at Vandenburg... http://www.kesq.com/Global/story.asp?S=5168528&nav=9qrx

Here's the NATCA (ATC Union) press release on the event... http://www.natca.org/mediacenter/press-release-detail.aspx?id=394

Predictably, the FAA and NATCA line up as follows:

FAA: "Safety was not compromised."
NATCA: ""...absolutely the worst scenario you can think of."

To both I say, "Hyperbole. Safety was compromised, but I can think of scenarios worse than this one."

:ugh:

[Jerricho]

I think this link in Dunnunda and God's sums it up this sort of situation very well.

Read it here (http://www.pprune.org/forums/showthread.php?p=2729413&highlight=london#post2729413)

[danceswithsheep]

It happened a year or so ago at Scottish Centre as well! All the fun and games. Our Watch Manager was superb (thanks Bill) and senior management.............well, maybe next time they will appreciate what we went through.

[Scott Voigt]

Here's the NATCA (ATC Union) press release on the event... http://www.natca.org/mediacenter/press-release-detail.aspx?id=394

Predictably, the FAA and NATCA line up as follows:

FAA: "Safety was not compromised."
NATCA: ""...absolutely the worst scenario you can think of."

To both I say, "Hyperbole. Safety was compromised, but I can think of scenarios worse than this one."

:ugh:[/QUOTE]

I don't know, from a controllers perspective, it doesn't get much worse then the building going dark and no radios, land lines or radar... Sounds real safe to me...

regards

Scott

[av8boy]

Easy now big fella... From THIS controller's perspective it isn't safe and, agreed, it doesn't get much worse. However, to say ""...absolutely the worst scenario you can think of" is nonsense. I CAN think of worse, and being a little superstitious I hesitate to engage in that sort hyperbole.

I spent a number of years as a NATCA rep and I fully support the union. This kind of talk irritates me mostly because I think it undermines NATCA's message. It tends to make the union message look as overstated as the FAA's message.

I'm still not stating this as elegantly as I'd like, but trust me, your irritation with me is misplaced.