Air traffic controllers directing planes into the Newark, New Jersey, airport lost radar for the second time in two weeks on Friday morning.
According to the Federal Aviation Administration, the radar at the facility in Philadelphia that directs planes into and out of Newark Airport went black for 90 seconds at 3:55 a.m. on Friday. This is similar to what occurred on April 28.
The first radar outage resulted in hundreds of flights being canceled or delayed at Newark Airport over the last two weeks, as the FAA slowed traffic to ensure safety. Following the outage, several controllers went on trauma leave, exacerbating the already acute shortage.
The FAA announced earlier this week that it is installing new fiber optic data lines to carry radar signals between its Philadelphia and New York facilities. According to officials, some of the lines connecting the two facilities use outdated copper wire.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced a multibillion-dollar plan Thursday to replace the nation’s aging air traffic control system, preventing problems like this from occurring and providing controllers with modern technology.
After a deadly midair crash in January between a passenger jet and an Army helicopter killed 67 people in the skies above Washington, D.C., officials devised a plan to upgrade the system.
However, the shortcomings of the air traffic control system have been known for decades. The National Transportation Safety Board has not determined whether the crash near Reagan National Airport was caused by an issue with the air traffic control system.