Accidental File Deletion Led to NOTAM Crash, FAA Says

The contract personnel's mistake made while synchronizing databases affected an estimated 4,000 flights.

Friday, January 20, 2023 at 01:28 PM ET

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All domestic flights in the U.S. were grounded early January 11 after the FAA's online Notices to Air Missions (NOTAM) safety briefing system crashed. [Credit: Shutterstock]

Key Takeaways:

The nationwide ground stop and extensive flight delays/cancellations were caused by a contract worker accidentally deleting files from the FAA's NOTAM (Notice to Air Missions) system.
The FAA's preliminary investigation found no evidence of a cyber-attack or malicious intent behind the system meltdown.
Repairs to the NOTAM system have been completed, and the FAA is taking steps to enhance its resilience and using the incident as a learning experience.

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Last week’s safety notice system meltdown that spurred a nationwide ground stop and thousands of delayed and canceled flights was caused by a contract worker accidentally deleting files, according to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

The FAA also reiterated that their preliminary investigation into the notice to air missions (NOTAM) system crash did not uncover evidence of a cyber-attack or “malicious intent.”