After a through review of the Sept. 26, 2014 shutdown of the FAA’s Chicago Center ATC facility following a fire intentionally set by a contract worker, the Department of Transportation’s Office of Inspector General says the FAA’s contingency plans did not adequately address redundancy or resiliency. The DOT IG also said the plans were insufficient to quickly restore operations after the fire.
The damage highlighted weaknesses in the FAA’s current air traffic control infrastructure, including limited response to system failures, according to the IG’s report. “In addition, the security protocols in effect at the time of the fire were insufficient to identify, counter or mitigate the impact of an insider threat,” the report notes. “While FAA has completed reviews of its contingency plans and security protocols following the incident, significant work remains to prevent or mitigate the impact of similar events in the future.”
The IG gave the FAA seven recommendations to improve redundancy and operational contingency plans and security protocols. The FAA concurred with all seven. While the IG considers them resolved, it left the items open pending the FAA’s completion of those planned actions. Last year’s two-week shutdown of the center reportedly cost the airline industry $350 million.