Radar screens went black for air traffic controllers at Newark airport again
NEWARK, New Jersey (WABC) -- Radar screens at New Jersey's Newark Liberty International Airport went black again early Friday morning.
The outage happened at 3:55 a.m. and lasted about 90 seconds, the Federal Aviation Administration said.
Air traffic controllers could be heard telling a FedEx plane that their screens went dark and then asked them to tell their company to put pressure on to get the problem fixed.
In another transmission, you can hear the controller telling a private jet arriving from Cyprus that they just had a brief radar outage and to stay at or above 3,000 feet in case they can't get in touch during their descent.
The FAA called it a "telecommunications outage that impacted communications and radar display at Philadelphia TRACON Area C," which is the facility that covers the airspace around Newark.
It was the third time in two weeks that radars failed at the facility in Philadelphia where controllers manage the airspace in and around Newark.
Last week, an outage at Newark caused ATC computer screens to go dark for roughly 60 to 90 seconds and prevented controllers from talking to aircraft during that time, according to multiple sources with knowledge of the incident. As a result, the FAA briefly halted all departures to the airport.
Following the outage, several controllers went on medical leave, calling the experience a traumatic event. The controllers are entitled to at least 45 days away from the job and must be evaluated by a doctor before they can return to work.
The facility in Philadelphia which covers Newark was already short on air traffic controllers.
This increased shortage sparked massive delays and cancellations at Newark over the last two weeks.
Congressman Josh Gottheimer held a press conference on Friday to demand quick action to fix the air traffic control crisis that has triggered the weeks of travel disruptions.
"The airport simply lacks the FAA tower staffing levels, modern technology and infrastructure that we need to make sure that this airspace, the busiest airspace in the world, runs efficiently, smoothly and safely," Gottheimer said.
Next week, the FAA is meeting with airlines about reducing the number of flights from Newark for the summer.
The FAA is proposing a targeted schedule rate of 34 arrivals and 34 departures per hour. Right now, Newark often has 80 or more flights per hour, which United CEO Scott Kirby called unsustainable.
United Airlines has already reduced flights for safety and to try to keep them on schedule.
If approved, the reduction is expected to remain in effect through the summer of 2025.
This comes after U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced a plan for sweeping upgrades to America's air traffic control system.
"We are on it. We are going to fix it. We are going to build a brand new system for all of you and your families and the American people," Duffy said.
The plan, which could take three to four years to complete, includes swapping out old telecommunications for "new fiber, wireless and satellite technologies"; "installing new modern hardware and software"; replacing 618 old radars; and building six new air traffic control centers and replacing towers, the Transportation Department said.
But the upgrades would have to be done while still using the old system.
The proposed plan would cost around $15 billion to complete. It would first need to be approved by Congress.
(ABC News contributed to this report.)
----------
* Get Eyewitness News Delivered
* Download the abc7NY app for breaking news alerts
Submit a tip or story idea to Eyewitness News
Have a breaking news tip or an idea for a story we should cover? Send it to Eyewitness News using the form below. If attaching a video or photo, terms of use apply.
