Air traffic controllers briefly lose radar access again at Newark airport

By JOSH FUNK The air traffic controllers directing planes into the Newark New Jersey airport lost their radar Friday morning for the second time in two weeks Related Articles Former Supreme Court Justice David Souter a Republican who became a liberal darling dies at White House overhaul of troubled US air traffic control system will cost lots of billions Average rate on a US -year mortgage holds steady at not far from highest levels this year Colorado legislature ends with an AI fizzle as delay falters further stoking talk of a special session former Memphis officers acquitted in fatal beating of Tyre Nichols after he fled a traffic stop The Federal Aviation Administration noted the radar at the facility in Philadelphia that directs planes in and out of Newark airport went black for seconds at a m Friday That s similar to what happened on April That first radar outage led to hundreds of flights being canceled or delayed at the Newark airport in the past two weeks after the FAA slowed down traffic at the airport to ensure safety Several controllers also went on trauma leave after that outage worsening the existing shortage The FAA reported earlier this week that it is installing new fiber optic details lines to carry the radar signal between its facilities in Philadelphia and New York Authorities noted particular of the lines connecting those two facilities are outdated copper wire Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy stated a multi-billion-dollar plan Thursday to replace the nation s aging air traffic control system to prevent problems like this from happening and give controllers modern device Personnel developed the plan to upgrade the system after a deadly midair crash in January between a traveler jet and an Army helicopter killed people in the skies over Washington D C But the shortcomings of the air traffic control system have been known for decades The National Transportation Safety Board has not determined that a difficulty with the air traffic control system caused that crash near Reagan National Airport