Just saw this posted on CNN

http://www.cnn.com/TRAVEL/NEWS/9905/05/delayed.flights.ap/index.html

Computer problems cancel flights at O'Hare and Midway

May 5, 1999 Web posted at: 1:08 p.m. EDT (1708 GMT)

CHICAGO (AP) -- Computer problems Wednesday at the main air traffic control center for O'Hare International and Midway airports caused numerous flight delays and cancellations for passengers traveling into and out of Chicago.

Although the software problem was fixed by late morning, flight backups were expected to continue throughout the day. Takeoffs and landings were delayed for an hour or more, said Chicago Aviation Department spokeswoman Monique Bond. She did not know how many flights were delayed or how many, if any, were diverted from the airports.

The trouble started when the Tracon Center in Elgin tested new software that displays a plane's size on radar screens, said Tony Molinaro, a spokesman at the Federal Aviation Administration's Great Lakes office.

However, controllers never lost sight of planes and did not lose communication with planes, he said. United Airlines canceled 25 percent -- 164 -- of its afternoon flights into and out of O'Hare, said spokeswoman Kristina Price. American Airlines canceled 42 of its 337 flights, said spokeswoman Mary Frances Fagan.

-- Sheep (sheep@sheeple.com), May 05, 1999

Answers

In today's box

Realted topic on airlines Link

A repeat of something I posted ?yesterday. Good news - Bad news? you decide! Real news anyway!!!

-- spun@lright (mikeymac@uswest.net), May 05, 1999.

Hmmmm... local ABC station in Atlanta reported on the problem and claimed it was weather related.

-- lurker (not@this.time), May 05, 1999.

More on the computer problems at O'Hare. Looks like this indirectly relates to y2k. To contribute it to weather is I believe untrue. I had not even heard of the near plane crash. Anyone else?

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/metro/chicago/article/0,1051,ART- 28112,00.html

-- sheep (sheep@sheeple.com), May 06, 1999.

Just up on AP Breaking News:

[ For Educational Purposes Only ]

http://www.tampabayonline.net/news/news102a.htm

5/6/99 -- 10:25 AM 5/6/99 -- 10:25 AM

Computer problem delays flights at Newark, LaGuardia

WASHINGTON (AP) - A computer problem at the air traffic control center on Long Island delayed departures from Newark and LaGuardia airports today, the second day such glitches have affected a major travel corridor.

Just before 6:30 a.m., the air traffic control center in Ronkonkoma, N.Y., lost power in one of its main computers, forcing a switch to a backup system, said FAA spokesman Jim Peters. That prompted controllers to increase the separation between departing flights from 10 to 30 miles, creating delays of up to 45 minutes for between 20 and 30 airplanes at each airport.

The problem was fixed in about 45 minutes, and traffic had returned to normal by mid-morning, Peters said. Flights in and out of John F. Kennedy International Airport were not affected.

On Wednesday, computer problems at the main air traffic control center for O'Hare International and Midway airports caused numerous flight delays and cancellations for passengers traveling into and out of Chicago.

Takeoffs and landings were delayed for an hour or more, said Chicago Aviation Department spokeswoman Monique Bond.

The trouble started when the Tracon Center in Elgin tested new software that displays a plane's size on radar screens, said Tony Molinaro, a spokesman at the Federal Aviation Administration's Great Lakes office.

United Airlines canceled 25 percent - 164 - of its afternoon flights into and out of O'Hare, said spokeswoman Kristina Price. American Airlines canceled 42 of its 337 flights, said spokeswoman Mary Frances Fagan.
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-- Leska (allaha@earthlink.net), May 06, 1999.

This is amazing! *Another* report of a failed generator and failed backup generator! Very very common problem. Especially with airport snafus. If I had a search engine, could pull up at least 25 instances in last 3 months of backup generator failures causing problems -- that's just what I've noticed from skimming random articles with not enough time.

Hopefully enough ppl have noticed this and are diligently checking, drilling & re-checking their generators and Plans B, C, D, E, etc.

[ For Educational Purposes Only ]

Air tower power outage blacked out radar and radio contact

5/8/99 -- 1:35 PM

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - A power failure knocked out air traffic controllers' radar displays and radio communications for 23 minutes at Philadelphia International Airport.

However, no pilots reported any ``safety issue'' as a result of the outage, Federal Aviation Administration officials said.

The outage, which occurred early Wednesday, left only overhead lights operating in the tower, The Philadelphia Inquirer reported in Saturday's editions, quoting officials of the Air Traffic Controllers Association.

The FAA said the blackout was caused by human error during a test of a new generator. In addition, a backup generator didn't come online and several phone lines were knocked out.

Of six jets in the air at the time, FAA officials say two landed safely on their own, and four switched to radio frequencies operated by another control center. Five planes on the ground also lost radio contact while waiting for takeoff instructions.

``It's pretty upsetting,'' said controller Richard Weaver, who was in the tower. ``Helpless is a pretty good description. ... You're lost. It's the Twilight Zone.''

Also on Wednesday, computer problems at the main air traffic control center for Chicago's O'Hare and Midway airports caused numerous flight delays and cancellations.

And on Thursday, a computer problem at an air traffic control center at Ronkonkoma, N.Y., delayed departures from airports at New York, Philadelphia and Newark, N.J.
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-- Leska (allaha@earthlink.net), May 08, 1999.

Y2K-involved.

http://chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/article/0,1051,SAV-99050601 62,00.html

FLIGHTS STACK UP AS RADAR BUGS OUT

"... After efforts to fix the problem failed, FAA management and the National Air Traffic Controllers Association agreed to deactivate the finicky ARTS 6.05 system and replace it Thursday morning with a retired version, ARTS 6.04, which had a solid track record. However, the older system is not Year 2000 compliant, forcing the FAA to quickly correct the glitches in the new, Y2K-compliant ARTS 6.05 and get it back on-line soon, said FAA spokesman Tony Molinaro."
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-- Leska (allaha@earthlink.net), May 08, 1999.