Computer Problems Halt Outgoing Flights at SoCal Airports [now resolved]

[Bosonic]

Source: NBC

Computer problems forced all outgoing flights Southern California airports to be halted on Wednesday, officials said.

A ground stop was issued by the Federal Aviation Administration as they dealt with "unspecified computer issues" at LAX, Bob Hope Airport in Burbank and John Wayne Airport in Orange County.

NBC4 viewers reported flights at Ontario and Oakland airports were also grounded.

It was not clear how long flights would be forced to stay on the ground.

Read more: http://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/local/LAX-ground-stop-flights-257410331.html

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JUST IN: LAX ground stop affecting flights at SJC to/from LAX, Burbank, Ontario, OC, San Diego, Las Vegas and Phoenix, per SJC spokesperson.

https://twitter.com/nbcbayarea/status/461630759414296577

[zappaman]

1. Of course I have a flight out tomorrow!

Hope it's fixed!

[DJ13]

2. NBC4 viewers reported flights at Ontario and Oakland airports were also grounded.

They wouldnt use the same computers between 3 airports, would they?

[Blue_Tires]

3. it's a radar issue, evidently

http://www.airliners.net/aviation-forums/general_aviation/read.main/6067567/

and given that SoCal is like the busiest airspace on the planet, it's going to be a major headache

[Major Nikon]

5. The problem happened at the air traffic control center which manages flights for a large area

When you take off from a major airport, air traffic control hands you off from the tower, to an approach control, and then to the center. Each facility handles a progressively larger amount of airspace.

So yes, ZLA handles all of Southern California.

[DJ13]

6. Thank you

I didnt know about that.

[James48]

7. Appears outwage was the main traffic computer at Salt Lake City

Which knocked out all flights in the west.

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/computer-outage-grounds-planes-in-western-states/

You wanna bet it was a contractor again doing a software update that screwed it up?

[Major Nikon]

8. I think that's where all the flight plans are processed for half the nation

The flight plan data flows through the centers like ZLA.

A similar outage happened on the east coast some time back. I don't know what the cause of either was. Years ago the FAA used to do almost everything in house, but starting in the Shrub years they started contracting out a lot of stuff. They closed a lot of flight service stations and contracted all or most of it out. It was a disaster. It wouldn't surprise me if they contracted out flight plan processing also.

[James48]

9. Yep--it is a Contractor.

Lockheed Martin.


http://www.nytimes.com/2014/05/01/business/faa-computer-problem-grounds-planes-in-los-angeles.html?_r=1

[Bosonic]

4. Flights Resume After Being Grounded at LAX

Flights Resume After Being Grounded at LAX

Flights resumed Wednesday after computer problems halted outgoing flights from Southern California airports for about an hour, officials said.

A ground stop was issued about 2:20 p.m. by the Federal Aviation Administration as they dealt with "unspecified computer issues" at LAX, Bob Hope Airport in Burbank and John Wayne Airport in Orange County. NBC4 viewers reported flights at Ontario and Oakland airports were grounded.

LAX, Bob Hope and John Wayne airports resumed flights by 3:20 p.m. It was not clear if other airports were able to resume take off.

http://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/local/LAX-ground-stop-flights-257410331.html

[SoapBox]

10. Yawn!

Got diverted to SLC while in route from MSP to LAX.

It then looks like flights out of LAX (at least on one carrier) were getting out of there about 3 hours late.

Some reports now that by midnight most operations should be getting closer to schedule.

[dhill926]

11. looks like we were on the same flight….

looong day yesterday….