Parts of the Northeastern United States sky were shut down for a minimum of 30 minutes on Monday following equipment failures that halted operations at major airports in New Jersey and Pennsylvania, the Federal Aviation Administration reported.
FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford explained that a circuit failure occurred at an air traffic control facility in Philadelphia early Monday morning. When operators switched to the backup system, they discovered that the reserve line had been severed at a construction site in New Jersey.
To facilitate the necessary circuit changes in Philadelphia, Bedford stated that airspace closure was required. Some incoming flights were rerouted to alternate destinations during the interruption.
Construction safety seems to be an afterthought when critical infrastructure is involved. We need stricter oversight on these sites.
Thirty minutes is short for this kind of chaos. Did anyone actually get stuck overnight in Newark or Philly?
Wow, the backup being cut was the worst possible outcome. That double failure really explains the severity of the delays.