Mon, Mar 05, 2007
Group Claims ATOP Failure Affected Roughly 70 Planes
The National Air Traffic Controllers Association reports at 0100
EST the morning of March 5, there was a failure of the Advanced
Technologies and Ocean Procedures (ATOP) system that New York
Center air traffic controllers use to handle aircraft over the
Atlantic Ocean.
A controller working the South Atlantic Sector -- one of three
ATOP sectors that were open, according to NATCA -- first reported a
CPAR failure. A CPAR failure is an indication to the controller
that the protected profile of a particular flight has been
corrupted. The only solution is to delete the flight plan from the
system, and re-input all pertinent data for that flight, to ensure
that the profile of the flight is protected in the system.
A controller working the North Atlantic Sectors looked at her
sector messages and commented that she just had two CPAR failures.
The original controller then stated that every aircraft in her
sector had CPAR failed -- approximately 20 planes.
The controller working the North Atlantic stated the roughly 35
flights she was tracking were also CPAR failing. Controllers asked
the controller working the Caribbean traffic if he was also having
CPAR failures and he said yes, all his fights were now failing --
approximately 12 aircraft.
Flights leaving the United States had to be diverted back to
Boston Center.
NATCA claims the Federal Aviation Administration's catastrophic
plan in place for ATOP "failed miserably" -- and that it was the
"outstanding work" of the nine controllers that kept the situation
in check.
As of 1130 EST Monday, the system is still unstable... and the
planned traffic for tonight will be one of the top 10 busiest
nights of the year for New York Center, based on the Jet Stream and
the projected traffic flows, according to New York Center
controllers.
More News
Runway Lead-in Light System Runway Lead-in Light System Consists of one or more series of flashing lights installed at or near ground level that provides positive visual guidance a>[...]
Aero Linx: Aviation Without Borders Aviation Without Borders uses its aviation expertise, contacts and partnerships to enable support for children and their families – at hom>[...]
Dave Juwel's Aviation Marketing Stories ITBOA BNITBOB ... what does that mean? It's not gibberish, it's a lengthy acronym for "In The Business Of Aviation ... But Not In The Busine>[...]
From 2010 (YouTube Version): Yeah.... This IS A Really Cool Job When ANN's Nathan Cremisino took over the lead of our Aero-TV teams, he knew he was in for some extra work and a lot>[...]
Also: Junkers A50 Heritage, Montaer Grows, Dynon-Advance Flight Systems, Vans' Latest Officially, the Carbon Cub UL and Rotax 916 iS is now in its 'market survey development phase'>[...]