EWR-PHL failures and how safety is the FAA’s number 1 priority

[NovemberEcho]

So today the radar for EWR area at PHL went down for about 5 minutes as well as some frequencies. Apparently, this happened as well a couple weeks before cutover but nobody bothered to tell anyone who actually uses the radar. Afterwards, we tried to limit the arrival rate because no one trusts it not to fail again. Command Center and higher FAA has been fighting to keep ops normal saying everything is fine and no need to worry.

Also, it was discovered yesterday that the LLWAS (low level wind shear advisory system) in the Tracon doesn’t work after 6 planes were cleared for the ILS straight into a microburst that we didn’t know was happening.

These are both legitimately highly dangerous failures. It was sheer luck that when the radar failed it wasn’t in the middle of a push or an IMC day. The FAA says it’s fine everything’s fine just keep working like normal. So, next time you fly into EWR/TEB/CDW/MMU, just remember that maybe the equipment is a bit unreliable, and that life is pain and you don’t really have anything worth living for anyway.

 

[Boris Badenov]

Return to your homes. There is nothing to see here.

 

[Boris Badenov]

and that life is pain and you don’t really have anything worth living for anyway.

I may not be missed. Almost certainly won't be. But those thousands of IPhones...think of the Kids!

 

[CFI A&P]

Neither of which will stop people from blasting through the level off coming out of TEB, so operationally normal.

 

[NovemberEcho]

Neither of which will stop people from blasting through the level off coming out of TEB, so operationally normal.

Tbf since the WENTZ1 took effect replacing the RUUDY (same Sid just no climb to 2000) no one has busted it yet

 

[DPApilot]

…yet…

 

[TUCKnTRUCK]

Tbf since the WENTZ1 took effect replacing the RUUDY (same Sid just no climb to 2000) no one has busted it yet

Never fear, some Neanderthal with paper charts still not updated from ‘17 will blow through the altitude on the Ruudy- because it looks about the same as the wentz1 - so should be good to use the old chart.

 

[Minuteman]

 

[NovemberEcho]

Pretty good article.

 

[Skåning]

Pretty good article.

8 pages?! Got an audiobook version

 

[NovemberEcho]

8 pages?! Got an audiobook version

It’s more like 6 1/2. Even has pictures! (Although not of N90 or PHL)

 

[Fixtur]

I'll be in EWR later this afternoon.

VFR, god willing and the creek don't rise.

 

[milleR]

I'll be in EWR later this afternoon.

VFR, god willing and the creek don't rise.

This is the way

 

[Bandit_Driver]

sounds about right. After switch I ended up holding over RIC area for an hour for "volume" on a blue sky day. Almost had to divert.

 

[Screaming_Emu]

sounds about right. After switch I ended up holding over RIC area for an hour for "volume" on a blue sky day. Almost had to divert.

My biggest commuting win was after I finished recurrent in MIA. Quickest way home to IAD was via EWR on United. Weather everywhere, so the plane was late leaving MIA. No worries, the same plane was to be the one that took me to IAD.

2/3rds of the way there we start holding over Virginia. Eventually the captain comes on and announces that due to weather we weee diverting to IAD. I think I was the only happy one on the plane.

 

[///AMG]

Pretty unrelated, or at least only marginally tangential, but WTF is going on at Seatac? "Network outage" that has been going on since last weekend? Monday, the baggage system was degraded and the arrival/departures screens in the terminal were off. KCM was cancelled too. Today, I figured it was better, I think they brought KCM back online last night. And then I just got an email that the employee lot phones are down. What is happening? Did one of those terminal construction crews take a sawzall to something/somewhere they shouldn't have?

 

[ASpilot2be]

Pretty unrelated, or at least only marginally tangential, but WTF is going on at Seatac? "Network outage" that has been going on since last weekend? Monday, the baggage system was degraded and the arrival/departures screens in the terminal were off. KCM was cancelled too. Today, I figured it was better, I think they brought KCM back online last night. And then I just got an email that the employee lot phones are down. What is happening? Did one of those terminal construction crews take a sawzall to something/somewhere they shouldn't have?

I thought it was a cyber attack.

 

[Boris Badenov]

"How much do you reaalllllly care about Taiwan?"

 

[Roger Roger]

Pretty unrelated, or at least only marginally tangential, but WTF is going on at Seatac? "Network outage" that has been going on since last weekend? Monday, the baggage system was degraded and the arrival/departures screens in the terminal were off. KCM was cancelled too. Today, I figured it was better, I think they brought KCM back online last night. And then I just got an email that the employee lot phones are down. What is happening? Did one of those terminal construction crews take a sawzall to something/somewhere they shouldn't have?

The screens thing is ongoing on again off again for like the last 2 months

 

[sorrygottarunway]

Approach control for EWR went down again two days ago for a few minutes, heard guard lighting up with an exasperated controller giving final vectors and altitudes.