FAA Investigates 90-Second Communications Loss at Denver Air Route Traffic Control Center

Strategic Insights -

A communications loss occurred at a portion of the Denver Air Route Traffic Control Center, a facility that covers airspace in multiple states, resulting in a 90-second loss of contact between controllers and pilots. The loss of communications occurred at approximately 1:50 p.m. local time on Monday, and controllers were able to relay instructions to pilots using another frequency. The FAA is investigating the cause of the outage. The Denver Air Route Traffic Control Center covers approximately 285,000 square miles of airspace, and the outage comes after weeks of reported staffing issues and outages at Newark Liberty International Airport.

Key Takeaways:

  • The Denver Air Route Traffic Control Center experienced a 90-second loss of communications on Monday at approximately 1:50 p.m. local time.
  • Controllers used an alternative frequency to relay instructions to pilots, and there were no reported impacts to operations.
  • The cause of the outage is currently under investigation by the FAA.
  • The Denver Air Route Traffic Control Center covers approximately 285,000 square miles of airspace, including parts of eight states.
  • The outage comes after weeks of reported staffing issues and outages at Newark Liberty International Airport.
  • Five controllers took a 45-day trauma leave after an outage on April 28 caused their radar screens to go blank for 90 seconds and their radios to go out for 30 seconds.
  • Two similar incidents have occurred at Newark's airport within the last week, including a 90-second-long radar and radio outage on Friday.
  • Ongoing issues at Newark Airport were revealed in the last two months, with outages reported in October and November.
  • US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy stated that the air traffic control system is safe, citing multiple redundancies that ensure safety.

Statistics:

  • 90 seconds: duration of communications loss at the Denver Air Route Traffic Control Center.
  • 545,000 square miles: total area covered by the Denver Air Route Traffic Control Center, including parts of eight states.
  • 285,000 square miles: area covered by the Denver Air Route Traffic Control Center as mentioned in the original text.
  • 2: weeks of reported staffing issues and outages at Newark Liberty International Airport.
  • 5: number of controllers who took a 45-day trauma leave after an outage on April 28.
  • 2: number of similar incidents at Newark's airport within the last week.
  • 45 days: length of trauma leave taken by five controllers.

Sources:

  • Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)
  • CNN
  • US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy's statement at a Senate Appropriations subcommittee hearing on Thursday.