Denver air traffic controllers had 2-minute communications outage, FAA official says

A United Airlines jetliner prepares to propulsion disconnected from a gross astatine Denver International Airport connected May 7. Air postulation controllers successful Denver experienced a communications blackout connected Monday that lasted for astir 2 minutes. David Zalubowski/AP hide caption

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David Zalubowski/AP

Pilots flying into Denver International Airport connected Monday couldn't pass with aerial postulation controllers for astir 2 minutes owed to aggregate vigor transmitter failures, a starring authoritative with the Federal Aviation Administration confirmed to members of Congress connected Thursday.

Frank McIntosh, the lawman main operating serviceman astatine the FAA, told a House committee that determination was a nonaccomplishment of 1 of the aerial postulation controllers' vigor frequencies. Controllers person aggregate frequencies, truthful operators turned to their backup frequence successful this case, helium said.

This backup went down "for astir 2 minutes," McIntosh said.

As exigency procedures dictate, controllers switched to a 121.5 MHz vigor frequency, which is chiefly utilized for craft communications and exigency situations, and they were capable to link with the craft and pass the pilots to power to a secondary frequency, helium explained.

The outage occurred astatine the Denver Air Route Traffic Control Center, which is located successful Longmont, Colo., and handles airspace for astir of Colorado and parts of respective neighboring states.

The FAA said successful a connection sent to NPR connected Thursday that the outage lasted "approximately 90 seconds" astatine astir 1:50 p.m. connected Monday, "when some transmitters that screen a conception of airspace went down. Controllers utilized different frequence to relay instructions to pilots. Aircraft remained safely separated and determination were nary impacts to operations. The FAA is investigating."

A Denver quality presumption cited an outage lasting astatine slightest six minutes, but McIntosh said that was "over exaggerated."

Denver7 Investigates archetypal reported connected Wednesday that arsenic galore arsenic 20 pilots flying into the Denver International Airport connected Monday couldn't link with aerial postulation controllers.

This quality comes amid expanding scrutiny connected the nation's main aviation bureau pursuing aggregate disruptive communications and radar outages astatine Newark Liberty International, a deadly midair clang successful Washington, D.C., several adjacent collisions, and aerial postulation controller staffing shortages.

As the FAA faces these galore problems, the bureau inactive does not person a imperishable head. President Trump named acting Administrator Chris Rocheleau successful January aft erstwhile head, Mike Whitaker, resigned connected Inauguration Day.

McIntosh, who has been with the FAA for implicit 2 decades, was the 1 facing questioning from lawmakers connected Wednesday and Thursday astir caller failures and whether the civilian aviation manufacture is safe.

McIntosh connected Thursday was speaking to the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee regarding updates to the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024. He spoke astir the Denver outage successful effect to a question from Rep. Robert Garcia of California.

"We cognize that the problems person gone backmost decades successful immoderate cases, but it's inactive an perfectly shocking strategy failure, and we request contiguous solutions," Garcia said.

McIntosh testified connected Wednesday that a hotline that provided nonstop connection betwixt the Pentagon and the aerial postulation power operation astatine Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport has not functioned for much than 3 years. It's unclear however overmuch quality this would person made successful preventing the January incidental successful which an Army Black Hawk chopper and an American Airlines determination pitchy collided successful midair, sidesplitting 67 people.

Also connected Wednesday, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy testified astatine a House Appropriations Committee proceeding and faced aggregate questions regarding outages astatine Newark. He confirmed to lawmakers that anterior to the April 28 outage, which lasted somewhere betwixt 30 and 90 seconds, determination were akin blackouts successful October and November. It's unclear however agelong those outages lasted.

Duffy and the FAA person announced changes astatine Newark to amended exertion astatine the airdrome and to dilatory down departures and arrivals. Duffy has besides proposed a sweeping plan to modernize the aerial postulation power system. No factual program oregon dollar magnitude has yet been projected to Congress, but a House committee precocious estimated that modernizing the strategy could outgo astatine slightest $12.5 billion.