FAA Reporting Flight Plan System Failures

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Fox News is reporting a computer glitch in the FAA's flight plan processing system (possibly originating from a Georgia substation) is disrupting communications.

No specific word of it yet at the FAA website and only scant online coverage.

A glitch in the Federal Aviation Administration computer system is affecting flights across the country right now, according to CNN and the FAA sources commenting on the television news show.

The computer problem is with how flight plans are processed, and is causing delays. More than 5,000 flights are airborne now, according to CNN. Planes are in holding patterns now.

The Desert Sun willl bring you the latest on this developing story. We are also contacting the Palm Springs International Airport to see how flights are affected there.

The FAA's air traffic control map does show a lot of major cities experiencing delays.

Traffic destined to this airport is being delayed at its departure point. Check your departure airport to see if your flight may be affected.

It sounds like this should have no impact on communications between air traffic control centers and flights in the air, but may be disrupting the filing of new flight plans, which could be tangling up departures.

One of the electronic network that handles such messaging is the Aeronautical Fixed Telecommunication Network, which does also handle other types of high- and low-priority message and advisories.

Fox is now reporting a variety of major east coast airports have gone to full ground stops.

Homeland Security is confirming there's no indication of any terror connection.

In short, it sounds like no flights are in any trouble, but the country is about to be smacked with major systemwide delays.

Update: From Breitbart:

FAA spokeswoman Kathleen Bergen says there are no safety issues and officials are still able to speak to pilots on planes on the ground and in the air.

She says she doesn't know how many flights are being affected.

Bergen says the problem that occurred Tuesday afternoon involves an FAA facility in Hampton, Ga., south of Atlanta, that processes flight plans. She says there has been a failure in a communication link that transmits the data to a similar facility in Salt Lake City.

As a result, the Salt Lake City facility has to process those flight plans, causing delays.