Somebody deletes a few files on a computer, and the entire US grid of flights goes down? Sure I buy that!
The federal air-safety regulator said no evidence of cyberattack or malicious intent was found
A breakdown with the Notam system prompted the FAA to halt domestic departures and contributed to nationwide cancellations.
By Andrew Tangel and Micah Maidenberg, WSJ
Updated Jan. 19, 2023 8:54 pm ET
The Federal Aviation Administration said Thursday that a contractor working for the air-safety regulator had unintentionally deleted computer files used in a pilot-alert system, leading to an outage that disrupted U.S. air traffic last week.
The agency, which declined to identify the contractor, said its personnel were working to correctly synchronize two databases—a main one and a backup—used for the alert system when the files were unintentionally deleted.
The FAA said it had taken steps to prevent a recurrence of the outage in the system used for collecting and distributing the alerts, known as Notice to Air Missions, or Notams.
“The agency has so far found no evidence of a cyberattack or malicious intent,” the FAA said late Thursday in a statement outlining preliminary findings in its continuing investigation. The FAA said that it had made necessary repairs to the system and has taken steps to make it more resilient.
Last week, a breakdown with the Notam system that began Jan. 10 prompted the agency to halt domestic departures for nearly two hours the following day, leading to delays and contributing to cancellations across the country.
Notams provide pilots with information and alerts about potential hazards or restrictions in the air or on the ground at airports. Dispatchers working from airlines’ operations centers review them for important information that could affect flights. Pilots are required to review the alerts before taking off.
FAA staff and former agency leaders, as well as some elected officials and air safety advocates, have for years warned about older technology the agency relies on to manage operations in U.S. airspace. The FAA has worked to update the Notam system, but it contains legacy technology, including what the Transportation Department described as “failing vintage hardware” in a recent budget document.
Elected officials in Washington, including Sen. Maria Cantwell (D., Wash.), who chairs the Senate Commerce Committee, and Rep. Sam Graves (R., Mo.), chairman of the House Transportation Committee, have said they plan to examine the outage and have requested information from the Transportation Department.
Write to Andrew Tangel at andrew.tangel@wsj.com and Micah Maidenberg at micah.maidenberg@wsj.com
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