US air traffic control grounded by computer glitch
Network worries
A TINY PROBLEM in an isolated part of a computer network grounded air planes on stretches of tarmac from Orlando to Chicago yesterday.
More than 600 flights were affected, or about 60,000 passengers, because of one computer glitch.
Hank Krakowski, chief operations officer for the U.S. air traffic system, told AP that the problems occurred during routine software work on the aging system computer, one of just two in the country that play the vital role of distributing flight plans to dozens of controllers who monitor planes as they fly to their destinations.
During a routine software load, which is carried out twice a day something got corrupted in a file, and it brought the system down, apparently.
This caused the data being handled on the Eastern Seaboard to be switched to the computer that looks after the Western seaboard. This one immediately was overwhelmed by all the information and could not process all the flight plans being filed and refiled.
With no flight plans controllers don't know what route planes are taking or where and when they intend to land.
The Atlanta computer system, is 20 years old, and was already scheduled to be replaced later this year with a system with far greater memory.
What is perhaps more scary is that the FAA admits that its gear is so old that it could have directed Icarus and needs a total upgrade rather than a piecemeal approach being adopted now.
The US government can find plenty of cash for defence systems to protect planes from air-to-air missiles but will not stump up cash for the more likely occurrence of aircraft crashing into each other. µ
Comments
FAA stands for F**kedup Arsehold Agency
Actually, there is plenty of cash available, it's a fee that is collected by each and every passenger. The problems are that, first, the FAA can't seem to come up with a credible strategy and plan for upgrading the systems, which means, two, Congress won't allocate the money.The FAA is chock full of incompetent bureaucrats who have no idea which end of an electrical cord goes in the wall socket, much less being able to develop a coherent and doable plan to upgrade antiquated computer systems, some of which were developed and installed by IBM back in the 1950s!
Oh, and because it would be such a huge contract, there is a lot of lobbying and politicking amongst the competing firms and factions inside the FAA.
The FAA Is Lying To You, Once Again
FAA has been failing badly and continuously at least since Bobby Sturgell started working there as a protected legacy case in 2003. A few days ago FAA purposefully crashed its own NADIN (National Airspace Data Interchange Network) computer system, to suppress flight plans, lack of them, and other FAA electronically-documented failures.FAA also crashed its own NOTAM (Notice To Airmen) computer system a few months ago, too, in an effort to suppress dispersal headings and flight plans – see:
http://ejectsturgell.blogspot.com/2008/05/newsflash-stroker-ace-bobby-sturgell.html
Friday, May 23, 2008 – “Newsflash!: Stroker Ace Bobby Sturgell Crashes NOTAM Before The Other Feds Get To It!”
On the heels of at least 3 separate U.S. plane crashes this past weekend - ten (10) perished in Moab Utah, three (3) died in a Las Vegas crash into a house, and a pilot grounded his plane on a baseball field in Texas - what's clear is that FAA's air traffic control system is a total failure. Now FAA is engaging in spoliation of evidence, the electronic equivalent of 'ol-fashioned Fawn Hall shredding, to delete incriminating material one step ahead of FBI and other criminal authorities who are once again on FAA's heels. FAA is a trailer-park criminal enterprise. FAA Acting Administrator "Bobby" Sturgell must be relieved of his post NOW.
Regarding the 10 who died in Moab, Utah this past weekend: We continue to pray for them and their families and continue to mourn their loss. In their memory, this country needs to restore safety to our broken air traffic system. Future lives must be saved by repopulating FAA and ejecting Bobby Sturgell from office.
Quiet Rockland just published a hand-hewn list of over 1,200 FAA e-mail addresses on its website - and asks that you please consider using them for your own purposes:
http://removesturgell.blogspot.com
FAA's e-mail address formula is fairly simple. The 'minds' of FAA management are even simpler. This past weekend, FAA wanted America to "celebrate" FAA's 50th Anniversary as fostering "the safest transportation system in the history of the world". (Verbatim quote, FAA Acting Administrator Robert A. "Bobby" Sturgell, speech entitled "The Credit Goes To You", Washington, D.C., August 21, 2008):
http://www.faa.gov/news/speeches/news_story.cfm?newsID=10274
FAA and failed Acting Administrator 'Bobby' Sturgell still persist in wanting you to believe that we are somehow in the 'safest period in aviation history'. As within the last few days, there are 10 more victimized innocent decedents in Moab, Utah whose souls will now testify exactly otherwise. Anyone who is outraged like me at the continuing criminal malfeasance of the Failed Aviation Agency, may consider voicing that outrage directly to the people that comprise that ersatz federal agency acronymed as FAA, and directly to failed FAA Acting Administrator Bobby Sturgell.
Not quite accurate
Do a wikipedia search for TCAS it is much more responsible for planes not hitting each other than the Flight Plan. The flight plan while important is not the system that keeps planes safe. Its more for fuel load, alternate airports, land and takeoff times, airway routes etc.not suprised
Back in 2004, as my Mech Eng final year project in Lancaster Uni, I studied ways to classify aircraft crashes and find out ways to categorise them by cause for data analysis.Even though I never completed more than 30% of what I had planned (I mistakenly choose a 53 year dataset), I found that the USA is the most likely place for you to be involved in an air crash both due to sheer number of flights and due to infrastructure oversights like these.
Effed Up Priorities
It's bizarre how there is more money to throw at checking perfumes, footsprays and other toilettries, shoes and beards than to opgrade vitally important computer systems.Bobby Sturgell, [R]Ejected
QR Anguilliforme Newswire/Rockland County, New York - Tuesday October 7, 2008Sources tell Quiet Rockland that U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) Secretary Mary Peters is now making preparations to brief the “new Administrator” of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
In a related story, FAA promotes Ruth Leverenz to “Acting Deputy Administrator” as Internet-listed second-in-command Key Official, in anticipation of Acting Administrator Robert Allan “Bobby” Sturgell’s departure from FAA office:
http://www.faa.gov/about/key_officials/leverenz/
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For the full story, please see:
http://www.bobbysturgell.net