Chicago Center Fire

B

Boyington

Well-Known Member
Who else was up flying in that mess this morning?

Chicago center lost all coms, and everything moved to Guard. Then they evacuated the facility.
 
I can say more about what is going on, but if you are about to push from an out station for ORD please call dispatch and don't push.

Also I think this is the 3rd time it happened this year. May sounds about right for the last time it happened.
 
I hope all of the ladies and gentlemen at the facility are ok. A great group of people there. They were calm and professional (exactly as you would expect).
 
Stupid GA pilot questions here:
Why the heck is the radar system SO fragile that one facility outage shuts everything down?!?
And, why cant one use ADS-B as a backup in a situation like this?
And, finally, doesn't reporting this incident widely just give "the terrorists" more information about how crappy our infrastructure has become over the last 30 years?
 
Well, my commute to ORD diverted to DTW, so if anyone is up for an impromptu meet and greet, I'm down. There's no telling when I'll get out of here and head to ORD. My show has been pushed two hours, and Crew Support is already suspecting my first turn will get cancelled.

I suspect this will provide a good argument for hastening the modernization of the air traffic control system.
 
My peeps at ZAU say that one of the Ops Tech guys tried to start a fire in the basement and then try to kill himself ! of course anything that comes out of that place dose not surprise me !!!!!!!!!!
 
ozone said:
Stupid GA pilot questions here:
Why the heck is the radar system SO fragile that one facility outage shuts everything down?!?
And, why cant one use ADS-B as a backup in a situation like this?
And, finally, doesn't reporting this incident widely just give "the terrorists" more information about how crappy our infrastructure has become over the last 30 years?
Click to expand...

and where are we to get the spare displays to do this, where are they to be located, how do you get the controllers there with out a delay.........should I keep going?
 
ozone said:
Stupid GA pilot questions here:
Why the heck is the radar system SO fragile that one facility outage shuts everything down?!?
And, why cant one use ADS-B as a backup in a situation like this?
And, finally, doesn't reporting this incident widely just give "the terrorists" more information about how crappy our infrastructure has become over the last 30 years?
Click to expand...
I don't see how evacuating a building due to fire, has anything to do with an out of date radar system. Are you saying when ATC leaves the airspace unattended, you pilots should be able to just rely on ADS-B and head on in to O'Hare? Would love to see that. You can put the most brand spanking new system in, but if there is a fire the airspace will be shut down. There are plans to keep traffic moving when one center goes ATC 0, but those plans all start with sterilizing the airspace. Once that is complete, if it will be a prolonged outage, other plans will allow for traffic to start again, at a slower rate. If anything, this is a argument for why having super centers (2-3 across the country) as some folks have proposed in the past, is a bad idea.

There used to be plans where chunks of airspace would go to each center surrounding, until they realized a) those centers don't have the frequency coverage for that airspace b) those controllers don't know how to control that airspace c) you are adding multiple sectors to another center's area. During an already chaotic period, where there is likely no spare scopes to split out additional sectors, to handle sectors that no one has been trained on, and where you can't speak to the majority of the planes.
 
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klkm said:
I don't see how evacuating a building due to fire, has anything to do with an out of date radar system.
Click to expand...

Agreed.

Are you saying when ATC leaves the airspace unattended, you pilots should be able to just rely on ADS-B and head on in to O'Hare? Would love to see that. .
Click to expand...

Just self-sequence/separate with tower, non-radar style. Like being at KRYN or KFLG here. How difficult could it possibly be?

:D
 
MikeD said:
......Just self-sequence/separate with tower, non-radar style. Like being at KRYN or KFLG here. How difficult could it possibly be?:D
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EXACTLY!
Aircraft land everyday at non-controlled airports!
Why can't all these crews self-report and self-sequence? Just say "Any traffic in the area please advise" (like the other retards do), and land? Seems simple to me.......:D
 
ozone said:
Stupid GA pilot questions here:
Why the heck is the radar system SO fragile that one facility outage shuts everything down?!?
And, why cant one use ADS-B as a backup in a situation like this?
And, finally, doesn't reporting this incident widely just give "the terrorists" more information about how crappy our infrastructure has become over the last 30 years?
Click to expand...

It was the radios that failed. But even if it was radar, ADS-B is not certified for vectoring and separation (at least it isn't here in El Paso).
 
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