To recover from the stress, air traffic controllers at Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey are taking special government leave for traumatic situations after losing contact with aircraft, which caused hundreds of delays for over a week.
In a statement provided to CNN on Monday, April 28, the National Air Traffic Controllers Association stated that the controllers in Philadelphia Terminal Radar Approach Control, which manages aircraft arriving at Newark, "temporarily lost radar and communications with the aircraft under their control, unable to see, hear, or talk to them."
According to a source with knowledge of the matter, the Federal Aviation Administration radar's connectivity with the frequencies used by air traffic controllers to control aircraft entering and leaving the airport "completely failed."
According to individuals who spoke to CNN, the event resulted in at least five FAA employees taking 45 days off.
The FAA admitted on Monday that its employees are being impacted by the agency's "antiquated air traffic control system."
According to a statement from the FAA, "some controllers at the Philadelphia TRACON who work Newark arrivals and departures have taken time off to recover from the stress of multiple recent outages." The FAA also stated that it is attempting to protect telecommunications equipment in the New York region and is improving its automated system to be more robust.
Thousands of customers have experienced delays and cancellations as a result of the staffing crisis, which has continued into an eighth and unprecedented day.
The FAA stated, "We continue to train controllers who will eventually be assigned to this busy airspace, even though we cannot quickly replace tthemcontrollers) due to this highly specialized profession."
FlightAware, a service that tracks flights, said that 375 flights were delayed and 160 planes were canceled on Monday.
The FAA has stated that it anticipates additional airport delays.
"I don't know where you are because we don't have a radar."
According to air traffic control recordings obtained by CNN, last week, air traffic controllers were effectively left in the dark when they lost access to the technologies that assist them in directing aircraft into Newark Liberty International Airport.
One pilot asks an air traffic controller who has ceased answering, "Approach, are you there?"
The website LiveATC.net captured the audio, which demonstrates the tense moments that the FAA claims caused some controllers to take trauma leave.
According to a study by flight tracking website Flightradar24, when radar and communications went down Monday, Newark airport controllers were in charge of 15 to 20 flights.
The pilot made five radio calls to the controller before receiving a response, according to a recording of a United Airlines flight from New Orleans to Newark.
“How do you hear me, United 1951?” At last, the controller inquires. The pilot answers, "United 1951, I got you loud and clear."
Later, another United flight from Charleston, South Carolina, to Newark loses contact.
The controller stated, "Simply stay on the arrival and maintain 6000 (feet) as we lost our radar."
According to the audio, the same jet, which is moving at hundreds of miles per hour, ultimately makes a reappearance on the radar but does not appear in a precise location.
"I can see the turn, United 674. As he works to fix the equipment issues, the controller notes, "I think our radar might be a couple of seconds behind."
The approach controller was also visibly irritated with a smaller aircraft attempting to enter airspace near a large airport.
The controller instructed the pilot to call the towers as soon as they approached the river.
The pilot asks, "Do I have Bravo clearance?"
"No, your clearance is not Bravo. Our radar isn't functioning properly, and we lost it. The radar service stops working. When you're closer, you can call the tower to receive a Bravo clearance," the controller replied.
The pilot replies, "All right, I'll wait for that frequency from you."
Look up the tower frequencies instead. The approach controller says, "I don't know where you are because we don't have a radar."
Together at the forefront
According to a statement released by United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby on Friday, more than 20% of FAA controllers "walked off the job" at Newark Airport last week, adding to the countrywide air traffic controller staffing crisis. United Airlines has been involved in several of the impacted flights.
Kirby also noted that the Newark traffic control station has been "chronically understaffed for years."
Some in the aviation industry were incensed by the remarks, arguing that the employees in question should be granted leave.
The controllers' union retorted on Monday that the controllers did not "walk off the job," as the media had claimed. The controllers took time off under the Federal Employees Compensation Act as a result of the incident. All federal workers who sustain bodily harm or go through a traumatic experience at work are covered by this program.
According to the person with knowledge of the matter, "the controllers weren't just fired; they were traumatized and their equipment malfunctioned." "It's stated in the regulations that they can take time off to see a psychiatrist if they have a traumatic experience. That's what the employees did that day."
Years may pass before a solution is found.
Peter Goelz, the former managing director of the National Transportation Safety Board, called the situation at the Newark airport "ridiculous."
"Our system is very safe, but when it's stressed out like this, with controllers feeling like they're under a lot of pressure, it affects safety, and people have a right to be worried," Goelz told CNN.
"Over the next seven or ten days, I'm not sure if I would want to take a plane out of Newark. I might take a different path because, under this kind of strain, you can't expect people to perform at their best for extended periods," he continued.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy stated on Friday that the airport's antiquated air traffic control system was a contributing factor in the delays and promised to install a new system, which might take three to four years to be up and running.
New York Senator Chuck Schumer said Monday that he ordered the Office of Inspector General at the Department of Transportation to investigate the problems at Newark before they spread around the country.
Schumer stated, "If problems like these aren't resolved and the FAA can't get real solutions off the ground, the chaos at Newark could very well be a harbinger."
Schumer claimed the FAA has not responded much to his concerns and referenced firings at the agency as a result of the Trump administration's budget cuts.
"The FAA is a complete disaster, which is why we are here. Air traffic controllers in Newark had long alerted the FAA to issues at the airport, so Schumer stated, "This mess needs a real forensic look, a deep look into it.
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