Topline
More than 40 reports of radar and radio glitches at dozens of air traffic control facilities have occurred since 2022, CNN reports—furthering the narrative that communication breakdowns are relatively commonplace and go far beyond Newark.
At Tampa International Airport in 2023, an air traffic controller temporarily lost contact with … More
Key Facts
More than 40 reports of radar and radio failures at dozens of airports nationwide were filed to NASA’s Aviation Safety Reporting System since 2022, CNN reported.
In Tampa, in 2023, one veteran air traffic controller described losing all contact with pilots as two planes, including a commercial passenger flight, narrowly missed each other after converging on a clear “collision course.”
Describing a tech failure in 2022 that “literally put someone’s life in danger,” an Indiana-based air traffic controller described losing communication with a plane making an emergency landing after a door blew off.
The FAA did not confirm the accuracy of CNN’s report, but said in a statement: “The FAA has more than 74,000 pieces of equipment in the National Airspace System. Every air traffic control facility has a contingency plan to ensure safety, and we have built-in redundancies, backup systems, and procedures in the case of system failure, weather, or other unplanned event.”
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
