FAA Computer Failure Caused by People Who Damaged Data File

FAA issues statement on the preliminary findings into outage
US flight departures were halted nationwide Wednesday morning

Cancelled and delayed flights on a departure board at Ronald Reagan National Airport (DCA) in Arlington, Virginia, US, on Jan. 11.Photographer: Nathan Howard/Bloomberg

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By Alan Levin

January 13, 2023 at 1:08 AM UTC

Updated on

January 13, 2023 at 2:42 AM UTC

This article is for subscribers only.

The computer failure that prompted a halt of all US flight departures was caused when a data file was damaged as a result of a failure to follow government procedures, the Federal Aviation Administration said Thursday.

Unspecified “personnel” were responsible for corrupting the file, which led to the outage of an FAA computer system that sends safety notices to pilots, the agency said in a statement. That triggered the FAA to order a halt to all US departing flights, causing thousands of delays and cancellations Wednesday.