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Northeast airspace recovers after FAA equipment failure grounds hundreds of flights

An Amtrak crew's accidental fiber-optic cut knocked out a Philadelphia air traffic control center, cascading into 487 delayed flights at Boston Logan by Monday night.

newest coverage 13h agosummary written 1d ago6 pieces NewswiresMastodon

What to know

  • An accidental fiber-optic cut by an Amtrak construction crew in New Jersey, combined with a circuit failure at the Philadelphia FAA facility, knocked out the regional air traffic control system Monday morning.
  • Nearly 500 flights were delayed at Boston Logan and 76 canceled by late Monday; the northeast airspace experienced cascading disruptions across the region.
  • Operations recovered by Tuesday morning with no residual delays reported, but passengers reported airlines refused to cover food, hotel, and other emergency expenses.
  • The disruption exposed tension between infrastructure maintenance (both FAA equipment and airport runway construction) and passenger protection in crisis situations.

“I'm trying to change my flight now”

Selina Guan, 17-year-old passenger from Phoenix · Boston Globe ↗

Sean DuffySean Duffy Transportation SecretaryAmtrak Construction crew operatorFAA Air traffic authorityMassport Boston Logan operator

Northeast airspace recovers after FAA equipment failure grounds hundreds of flights
bostonglobe.com

How it unfolded 3 developments, newest first · click a bar or a number to jump articlesposts

Peak 2 pieces in one hour at Sep 21, 2 PM; 6 pieces over 3 days (4 articles · 2 posts) Sep 21, 1 PM — 1 piece · 1 article — Newswires 1Sep 21, 2 PM — 2 pieces · 1 article · 1 post — Mastodon 1, Newswires 1Sep 21, 3 PM — quietSep 21, 4 PM — quietSep 21, 5 PM — quietSep 21, 6 PM — quietSep 21, 7 PM — quietSep 21, 8 PM — quietSep 21, 9 PM — quietSep 21, 10 PM — quietSep 21, 11 PM — quietSep 22, 12 AM — quietSep 22, 1 AM — quietSep 22, 2 AM — quietSep 22, 3 AM — quietSep 22, 4 AM — quietSep 22, 5 AM — quietSep 22, 6 AM — 2 pieces · 1 article · 1 post — Mastodon 1, Newswires 1Sep 22, 7 AM — quietSep 22, 8 AM — quietSep 22, 9 AM — quietSep 22, 10 AM — quietSep 22, 11 AM — quietSep 22, 12 PM — quietSep 22, 1 PM — quietSep 22, 2 PM — quietSep 22, 3 PM — quietSep 22, 4 PM — quietSep 22, 5 PM — quietSep 22, 6 PM — quietSep 22, 7 PM — quietSep 22, 8 PM — quietSep 22, 9 PM — quietSep 22, 10 PM — quietSep 22, 11 PM — quietYesterday, 12 AM — quietYesterday, 1 AM — quietYesterday, 2 AM — quietYesterday, 3 AM — quietYesterday, 4 AM — quietYesterday, 5 AM — quietYesterday, 6 AM — quietYesterday, 7 AM — quietYesterday, 8 AM — quietYesterday, 9 AM — quietYesterday, 10 AM — quietYesterday, 11 AM — quietYesterday, 12 PM — 1 piece · 1 article — Newswires 1Yesterday, 1 PM — quietYesterday, 2 PM — quietYesterday, 3 PM — quietYesterday, 4 PM — quietYesterday, 5 PM — quietYesterday, 6 PM — quietYesterday, 7 PM — quietYesterday, 8 PM — quietYesterday, 9 PM — quietYesterday, 10 PM — quietYesterday, 11 PM — quietToday, 12 AM — quietToday, 1 AM — quiet 123
Sep 22yesterdaynow · 2:56 AM ET
  1. 3

    Delays ease by Tuesday morning; no residual impacts reported

    By early Tuesday, Boston Logan reported minimal delays with several airlines showing on-time or early arrivals. Massport spokeswoman Jennifer Mehigan reported "no residual delays," and the FAA's national airspace status showed no major issues nationwide as of 6:51 a.m.

    “no residual delays…”
    — Jennifer Mehigan
    1. 1 outlet Flight delays at Logan Airport ease after equipment issues grounded planes across Northeast

      first by Boston Globe, 1d ago

  2. 2

    Passengers at Logan report confusion, frustration, lack of airline support

    Passengers described long waits for airline assistance and limited support. Selina Guan, 17, said she had not received vouchers for food or hotel despite rebooking for a 6 a.m. Tuesday flight. Maria Isabel, 62, said American Airlines told her "it's not their responsibility" for expenses, forcing her to spend unexpected money on a hotel.

    “it's not their responsibility…”
    — Maria Isabel
  3. 1

    Nearly 500 flights delayed at Logan; repairs completed by 6 p.m.

    By late Monday, 487 flights at Boston Logan were delayed and 76 canceled according to FlightAware. Repairs were completed and operations began returning to normal by 6 p.m., with Transportation Secretary Duffy urging passengers to check with their airlines.

    “It will take some time to clear all existing delays, so please check with your airline for the latest information…”
    — Sean Duffy
    1. 1 outlet Hundreds of flights delayed at Logan Airport as equipment issues ground planes across Northeast

      first by Boston Globe, 2d ago

    2. 1 outlet first by MassLive, 2d ago · read ↗

  4. background

    Amtrak construction crew accidentally cuts fiber line in New Jersey — Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy attributed the fiber optic line cut to an Amtrak construction crew that accidentally severed the line in New Jersey, causing a telecommunications outage that disrupted air traffic across the Northeast.

  5. background

    Circuit fails at Philadelphia FAA facility, backup fiber line found cut — A circuit failed Monday morning at a Federal Aviation Administration facility in Philadelphia. When the system attempted to switch to a backup connection, workers discovered that a fiber optic line had been cut.