A computer failure at the FAA has the potential to impact flights nationwide, including a possible nationwide grounding, ABC News has learned.
The affected system is responsible for sending out flight hazards and real time restrictions to pilots known as NOTAM (Notice to Air Missions).
"THE FAA is experiencing an outage that is impacting the update of NOTAMS. All flights are unable to be released at this time," the FAA said in a statement announcing the problem.
An update was issued shortly after their initial announcement saying that they are working to fix the problem.
"The FAA is working to restore its Notice to Air Missions System. We are performing final validation checks and repopulating the system now. Operations across the National Airspace System are affected. We will provide frequent updates as we make progress," said the FAA.
American Airlines also made a statement following the computer failure.
"The Federal Aviation Administration is experiencing an outage with its NOTAM (Notice to Air Missions) system, which provides critical flight safety operation information," said American Airlines. "We are closely monitoring the situation, which impacts all airlines, and working with the FAA to minimize disruption to our operation and customers. We encourage customers to check aa.com for the latest flight information."
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
