Failure of ATC communication systems around Buenos Aires

 

Following the failure of ATC communication systems of Buenos Aires Area Control Center at 12:54L (15:54Z) no Air Traffic Services could be provided around Buenos Aires (Argentina) until about 21:00L (00:00Z Mar 22nd). All IFR traffic in the Buenos Aires area had to be suspended affecting especially Buenos Aires Ezeiza and Buenos Aires Newbery Airports. Argentina's National Administration of Civil Aviation (ANAC) initially NOTAM'ed Air Traffic Control Services being suspended for two days until Mar 23rd 23:59Z but then hoped to get communication restored by 21:00L (00:00Z Mar 22nd). Following the outage an Alitalia Boeing 777-200 registration I-DISO performing flight AZ-681 to Rome Fiumicino (Italy) was the first aircraft to depart Buenos Aires' Ezeiza Airport shortly after 20:00L.

Around 120 flights were estimated to be affected by the outage (if traffic resumed by Mar 22nd 00:00Z).

Argentina's ANAC reported that the event was unforeseeable. A computer system delivered by a Canadian company 10 years ago had failed as well as it's backup system and secondary backup system. Communication with the aircraft was not entirely lost, alternative communication pathes were quickly established. Legal requirements however prohibited takeoff and landing clearances without all systems operating. The cause of the failure is under investigation.

Relevant NOTAMs (all now expired/deleted):
A0893/11 - DEBIDO A LA CAIDA DEL SISTEMA DE COMUNICACIONES NO SE SUMINISTRA ATS. 21 MAR 20:12 2011 UNTIL 21 MAR 23:59 2011 ESTIMATED. CREATED: 21 MAR 20:18 2011

A0892/11 - DEBIDO A LA CAIDA DEL SISTEMA DE COMUNICACIONES NO SE SUMINISTRA ATS. 21 MAR 19:09 2011 UNTIL 21 MAR 21:00 2011 ESTIMATED. CREATED: 21 MAR 19:12 2011

A890/2011
AVISOS FIR EZEIZA
(-EF)
Desde: 2011-03-21 17:30:00
Hasta: 2011-03-23 23:59:00
DEBIDO A LA CAIDA DEL SISTEMA DE COMUNICACIONES NO SE SUMINISTRA ATS