System Failure at Denver Airport: Another Communications Outage Rattles Air Traffic Controllers
Interruption in Air Traffic Communication at a U.S. Airport - Temporary Loss of Contact with Aviation Personnel - U.S. Airport Faces Another Power Outage
Let's get down to the nitty-gritty. You've heard it all over the news - another communication meltdown at a US airport, this time at Denver International Airport. On Monday, pilots couldn't reach air traffic controllers for about two minutes because of radio failures, as revealed by an FAA senior official to a congressional committee, according to NPR.
Just a week before, a similar blip happened at Newark Airport, near the New York metropolis, for around 90 seconds. That made it the second time in a row for a radio outage at the airport.
So, what happened in Denver? Well, according to the FAA official, one air traffic control frequency failed. The controllers switched to a backup frequency, but that also went kaput for about two minutes. In the end, the connection was reestablished. Fox Business reported that around 20 pilots faced this temporary communication loss, but CNN assured us that all aircraft were kept at a safe distance.
In more air traffic safety-related news, US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced that the outdated air traffic control system in the US will undergo a comprehensive overhaul. Some parts are still using technology that's older than some of your grandparents! The modernization is predicted to take about three to four years.
The air traffic safety spotlight has been on the US lately, ever since the fatal collision of a helicopter with a passenger plane in Washington D.C. in January, resulting in 67 deaths.
- Air Traffic Control
- Communication Failure
- Denver International Airport
- FAA
- Air Traffic Safety
- Modernization of Air Traffic Control
Enrichment Data:The exact details about the current status and reasoning behind the failure at Denver International Airport as reported by the FAA are as follows:
Current Status
- The outage occurred on Monday afternoon and lasted around 90 seconds.
- It affected the Denver Air Route Traffic Control Center, covering a significant portion of airspace in the western United States, but not the radar system.
- Controllers successfully used an emergency frequency to communicate with pilots during the failure, ensuring that aircraft remained safely separated.
Cause
- The outage was caused by a malfunction of two transmitters responsible for a particular segment of airspace.
- Recent outages, including the one at Newark Liberty International Airport, have brought attention to the aging air traffic control system and staffing issues.
Response and Future Plans
- The FAA is investigating the cause of the radio failure, and there were no operational impacts reported.
- The upgraded air traffic control system is expected to replace outdated technology and infrastructure at thousands of air traffic control sites in the U.S., with the modernization project slated for completion in three to four years.
- The communication failure at Denver International Airport on Monday was reported by the FAA to have affected one air traffic control frequency, with a backup frequency also experiencing trouble.
- The outage, which lasted around 90 seconds, comes amidst concerns about the aging air traffic control system in the US and follows a similar incident at Newark Airport a week prior.
- In response to this, US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced a comprehensive modernization of the US air traffic control system, expected to take three to four years and replace outdated technologies.
