---
title: The NOTAM plane debacle, explained
description: Due to an FAA computer glitch, all US flights were temporarily grounded on Wednesday morning.
---

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# [The NOTAM plane debacle, explained](https://hs-sbup.thehustle.co/news/01122023-notam-plane-debacle)

 Written by [Juliet Bennett Rylah](https://hs-sbup.thehustle.co/news/author/juliet-bennett-rylah) | Apr 4, 2023 11:27:59 PM

Days after the Southwest Airlines [snafu](https://thehustle.co/12282022-southwest-airlines-travel-chaos/), a computer glitch grounded *all* US flights on Wednesday morning.

Such an order hasn’t been issued since 9/11, [per](https://www.npr.org/2023/01/11/1148340708/faa-notam-ground-stop-flight-delay) *NPR*.

**What happened?**

An FAA computer system that sends out [NOTAMs](https://www.thinkaviation.net/notams-decoded/) (Notice to Air Missions) failed.

Though separate from air traffic control systems, NOTAMs share crucial info about potential safety hazards with pilots.

- **For example: **Runway closures, lights out of service, military exercises, lasers, or air shows.
- NOTAMs date back to 1947. The name once stood for “Notice to Airmen,” but in [December 2021](https://www.flyingmag.com/faa-name-change-signifies-a-bigger-mission-for-notams/), it changed to be more inclusive of all aviators, including drone pilots.

Aviation consultant Mike Boyd [told](https://www.cnn.com/2023/01/11/tech/faa-computer-system-notam/index.html) *CNN*, “It’s like telling a trucker that a road is closed up ahead.” So, no NOTAMs, no flights.

**What’s next?**

The FAA lifted the ground stop shortly before 9am EST, after [~1.5](https://twitter.com/SecretaryPete) hours, though air travel was snarled due to the 8.2k+ delays and 1.2k+ cancellations reported by [FlightAware](https://flightaware.com/live/cancelled) as of Wednesday afternoon.

President Joe Biden has ordered an investigation into why the system failed. Currently, there’s no evidence of a cyberattack.

Cybersecurity experts think the culprit was likely a software update, [per](https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/us-flights-grounded-faa-outage-rcna65243) *NBC*; others told *USA Today* it could be [outdated tech](https://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/airline-news/2023/01/11/faa-notam-outage-experts-technology/11033533002/).

**Meanwhile: **It’s not just planes. On Monday, [passengers](https://www.theguardian.com/business/2023/jan/11/amtrak-passengers-stranded-29-hours) on an Amtrak train from Washington, DC to Florida, were stuck aboard for 29+ hours due to a freight train derailment. Eventually, the conductor had to tell them to stop calling 911 as they were not being held hostage.

[View full post](https://hs-sbup.thehustle.co/news/01122023-notam-plane-debacle)

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