From Jalopnik · Daniel Golson · · 1m 20s
FAA Ground Stop Due to Communication Outage
FAA halts all U.S. flights after nationwide communication outage.
In brief
FAA halts all U.S. flights after nationwide communication outage. The FAA issued a nationwide ground stop due to a temporary telecommunications outage affecting all Air Route Traffic Control Centers, with no AI system involved. Originally reported by Jalopnik.
FAA Nationwide Ground Stop
The Federal Aviation Administration issued a nationwide ground stop halting all U.S. airport departures at 3:45 p.m. ET on Friday.
Communication Issue Cause
The ground stop resulted from a temporary telecommunications outage affecting all Air Route Traffic Control Centers across the U.S.
FAA Statement
The FAA confirmed the outage was not caused by AI systems, stating all flights have been accounted for with international flights handled case by case.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy cited communication issues as the cause, with FAA technicians investigating the problem.
Homeland Security Statement
Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin acknowledged AI could be involved but ruled out cyberattacks or terror threats.
ASI Contractor Clarification
ASI, the AI system contractor, stated the ground stop was not caused by their SMART system or integration with FAA.
L3Harris System Update
L3Harris reported an update to the private communications network caused the system to reboot and crash.
Pilot Experience
A pilot explained the ground stop prevents new flights from entering the system due to nationwide radio problems.
The bottom line
The FAA issued a nationwide ground stop due to a temporary telecommunications outage affecting all Air Route Traffic Control Centers, with no AI system involved.
