FAA: Flight system failure attributed to human error

A disruption in the communications system for US air traffic last week is due to human error.

An employee of a service provider accidentally deleted files that are important for the operation, the US air traffic control authority said yesterday. The breakdown largely paralyzed air traffic in the USA for hours. Pilots did not have access to the system known as Notice to Air Missions (NOTAM), which provides information about hazards, changes to airport facilities and information that may affect flights, until mid-morning on Wednesday night. The FAA then suspended air traffic for safety reasons.

A preliminary report by the authority now states that contract staff "unintentionally deleted files" when working on the system's databases. The investigation is still ongoing, but there is no evidence that the disruption was deliberate or a cyber attack. Criticism of the FAA had been raised because of the disruption. Air traffic control stated that it had taken steps to make the NOTAM system "more resilient".