I just heard on the news, CNN?, a report that the Memphis Center is down for computer problems. Apparently, this center monitors/controls all flights up and down the east coast. Planes that have not taken off are being told to stay on the ground. Planes in the air are being told to spread out.

-- nothing (better@to.do), November 10, 1999

Answers

Memphis FAA computer glitch disrupts air traffic nationwide 8.36 p.m. ET (146 GMT) November 10, 1999

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP)  A computer glitch at an air traffic control center grounded or delayed hundreds of airplanes across the country on Wednesday.

The center oversees high-altitude flights over parts of Tennessee, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Arkansas, Missouri and Kentucky. Cities hit hardest were Dallas/Fort Worth, St. Louis, Miami and Washington, D.C.

Pilots scheduled to fly were told to stay on the ground, causing delays across the country. Those in the air were ordered to expand the distance between airborne flights from the usual 5 miles to at least 15 miles, Federal Aviation Administration spokeswoman Tanya Wagner said.

The computer at the Memphis Air Route Traffic Control Center went down about 12:45 p.m. and was back on line by 2 p.m., she said.

Officials did not know what caused the problem. Wagner said controllers never lost radio contact with the flights.

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Apparently, a "glitch" CAN be a pretty big problem.

-- Pete (pberry1_98@yahoo.com), November 10, 1999.

11/10/99 -- 8:42 PM Memphis FAA computer glitch disrupts air traffic nationwide MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) - A computer glitch at an air traffic control center grounded or delayed hundreds of airplanes across the country on Wednesday. The center oversees high-altitude flights over parts of Tennessee, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Arkansas, Missouri and Kentucky. Cities hit hardest were Dallas/Fort Worth, St. Louis, Miami and Washington, D.C. Pilots scheduled to fly were told to stay on the ground, causing delays across the country. Those in the air were ordered to expand the distance between airborne flights from the usual 5 miles to at least 15 miles, Federal Aviation Administration spokeswoman Tanya Wagner said. The computer at the Memphis Air Route Traffic Control Center went down about 12:45 p.m. and was back on line by 2 p.m., she said. Officials did not know what caused the problem. Wagner said controllers never lost radio contact with the flights. Copyright 1999 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Tampa Bay Online | Tampa Tribune | Weather Center | Florida Travel

-- now (aherf@?.met), November 10, 1999.

I live near the Memphis area. The local news at 10 pm had a segment on Y2K. They said it was not Y2K related.

Yeah, and Klinton did not have sex with that woman.

-- Moedini (moe@flyingblind.com), November 10, 1999.

But ... but I thought they just said computers and stuff are all okay and us folks shouldn't worry or anything and Klinto was just gonna toot his horn and wag his finger at us on New Years.

-- PD (PaulDMaher@att.worldnet.com), November 11, 1999.

Hmmm...Back up computers failed to work properly too. On 6 pm. news, was repeated numerous times that this was NOT y2k related. Morning paper states that this kind of thing happens around the country quite often. Screens go blank all of the time. No big deal.

-- Kallie (kallie125@hotmail.com), November 11, 1999.

This is a perfect example of the PTB shortsightedness with respects to the complexity of our society. It can be argued that this 'problem' is a local problem. Hopefully people will see (eyes wide open please) the interdependencies between the Local, the Regional, The National and the International.

-- localgirl (karlacalif@aol.com), November 11, 1999.

And all this impact (nationally) from ONE "glitch" in ONE computer system in ONE ATC that only lasted ONE hour.

Lord help them if TWO things fail in TWO systems in TWO computers in TWO ATC's that last TWO hours.........

Come to think of it .... or if THREE in THREE in THREE ....

-- Robert A. Cook, PE (Marietta, GA) (cook.r@csaatl.com), November 11, 1999.

By the way, if they don't know what caused it, how do they know it won't happen again?

-- Robert A. Cook, PE (Marietta, GA) (cook.r@csaatl.com), November 11, 1999.

Hey, Robert, it was just a local disruption. By definition, local disruptions don't repeat, even if we don't know what caused them. At least, I sure hope that's how it works, 'cause we're betting the farm that Y2k is just local disruptions.

-- bw (home@puget.sound), November 11, 1999.