CNN
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Air traffic controllers who lost communication with aircraft at Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey, leading to hundreds of delays for more than a week, are taking special government leave for traumatic situations to recover from the stress.
The controllers in Philadelphia Terminal Radar Approach Control, which coordinates planes arriving at Newark, “temporarily lost radar and communications with the aircraft under their control, unable to see, hear, or talk to them,” on Monday April 28, the National Air Traffic Controllers Association said in a statement shared with CNN.
The connectivity between Federal Aviation Administration radar and the frequencies that air traffic controllers use to manage planes flying in and out of the airport “completely failed,” a source with knowledge of the situation said.
At least five FAA employees took 45 days of leave as a result of the incident, sources tell CNN.
On Monday, the FAA acknowledged that the agency’s “antiquated air traffic control system” is affecting its workforce.
“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 said in a statement. The FAA also said it is updating its automated system to be more resilient and is working to safeguard telecommunications equipment in the New York area.
The staffing chaos has pushed into an eighth, and unprecedented day, resulting in delays and cancellations for thousands of customers.
“While we cannot quickly replace (the controllers) due to this highly specialized profession, we continue to train controllers who will eventually be assigned to this busy airspace,” the FAA said.
By Monday evening, more than 150 flights into or out of the airport were canceled, with more than 350 flights delayed, according to the flight tracking website FlightAware.
The FAA has indicated it expects more delays at the airport.
Air traffic controllers were essentially left in the dark last week when they lost access to the systems that help them guide planes into Newark Liberty International Airport, air traffic control audio obtained by CNN shows.
“Approach, are you there?,” one pilot asks an air traffic controller who stopped responding.
The audio, recorded by website LiveATC.net, shows the tense moments the FAA says lead some controllers to take trauma leave.
A recording from a United Airlines flight flying to Newark from New Orleans captured the five radio attempts the pilot made to the controller before getting a response.
“United 1951, how do you hear me?,” the controller finally asks. “I got you loud and clear, United 1951,” the pilot responds.
Later, contact is lost with another United flight flying from Charleston, South Carolina, to Newark.
“We lost our radar so just stay on the arrival and maintain 6000 (feet),” the controller said.
The same flight, traveling at hundreds of miles an hour, eventually returns to the radar, but does not show up in an accurate position, according to the audio.
“United 674, I see the turn. I think our radar might be a couple seconds behind,” the controller reports as he tries to sort out the equipment problems.
A smaller aircraft trying to enter airspace around a major airport also elicited some clear frustration from the approach controller.
“When you get close to the river, give the towers a call,” the controller told the pilot.
“Do I have bravo clearance?,” the pilot asks.
“No, you do not have a bravo clearance. We lost our radar and it’s not working correctly. Radar service terminates… If you want a bravo clearance, you can just call the tower when you get closer,” the controller said.
“Okay, I’ll wait for that frequency from you,” the pilot responds.
“No.. look up the tower frequencies. We don’t have a radar, so I don’t know where you are,” the approach controller says.
The nationwide air traffic controller staffing shortage was compounded by over 20% of FAA controllers who “walked off the job” at Newark Airport last week, according to a statement Friday by United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby. Many of the affected flights have been through United Airlines.
The control facility responsible for traffic at Newark has been “chronically understaffed for years,” Kirby added.
The comments angered some in the aviation community who say the employees involved are entitled to take leave.
“The controllers did not “walk off the job” as it has been reported by the media,” the controller’s union responded Monday. “Due to the event, the controllers took absence under the Federal Employees Compensation Act. This program covers all federal employees that are physically injured or experience a traumatic event on the job.”
“The controllers didn’t just walk off the job they were traumatized, their equipment failed,” the source with knowledge of the situation said. “It’s written in the regulations if they experience a traumatic event —they can take time off to go see psychiatrist.. the people working that day did that.”
The situation at the Newark airport is “ridiculous,” according to Peter Goelz, former managing director of the National Transportation Safety Board.
“We have a very safe system, but anytime it’s stressed like this, where you have controllers who are feeling under maximum pressure, it impacts safety – and people have a right to be concerned,” Goelz told CNN.
“I’m not sure I’d want to fly out of Newark over the next week or 10 days. I might choose an alternate route, because you cannot expect humans to function at their highest level for sustained periods of time with this kind of pressure on them,” he added.
Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy said Friday the outdated air traffic control system used by the airport contributed to the delays, pledging to implement a new system – one that could take three to four years to get working.
Sen. Chuck Schumer, from New York, said Monday he directed the Department of Transportation’s Office of Inspector General to look into the issues at Newark before they extend across the nation.
“The chaos at Newark could very well be a harbinger if issues like these aren’t fixed, and if the FAA can’t get real solutions off the ground,” Schumer said.
Schumer cited firings at the FAA due to cuts by the Trump administration and said the agency has had little response to his concerns.
“We’re here because the FAA is really a mess. This mess needs a real forensic look, a deep look into it,” Schumer said, adding that Newark’s air traffic controllers have long warned the FAA of problems at the airport.
