Fire Set at Aurora FAA Radar Center Deliberately Set, Causing hundreds of Delayed and Canceled Flights

Fire Set at Aurora FAA Radar Center Deliberately Set, Causing hundreds of Delayed and Canceled Flights

Police say the fire was set by a contract employee and they do not consider it an act of terrorism

  • By Matt Holden
  • Sep 26, 2014

Fire Set at Aurora FAA Radar Center Deliberately Set, Causing hundreds of Delayed and Canceled FlightsA fire was set at an FAA radar center in Aurora, Illinois that grounded hundreds of Chicago flights. Police are sure in saying it is not a terrorist attack, and is instead an incident with a local contract employee.

The employee was found in the basement of the radar facility with self-inflicted wounds. The radar center was shut down and evacuated as the employee was taken to a hospital.

This activity caused a groundstop order halting all flights in and out of O’Hare and Midway airports. At 10 a.m., more than 700 flights were canceled and nearly 600 were delayed. The FAA halted all planes that were scheduled to cross the Midwest until 11 a.m. Passengers whose flights were canceled will be put on wait lists for later flights.

Emergency crews were called to the fire around 5:40 a.m., where they found a man with self-inflicted non-gunshot wounds. According to the FAA, the man is not an air traffic controller or manager.

Due to the fire, radio frequencies went dead and the air traffic control system immediately shifted to back-up equipment. Controllers at this center direct planes through the airspace and either hand off the air traffic to other similar facilities or direct the planes to terminal radar facilities, which direct planes to and from airport towers.

About the Author

Matt Holden is an Associate Content Editor for 1105 Media, Inc. He received his MFA and BA in journalism from Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana. He currently writes and edits for Occupational Health & Safety magazine, and Security Today.

Featured

  • Cost: Reactive vs. Proactive Security

    Security breaches often happen despite the availability of tools to prevent them. To combat this problem, the industry is shifting from reactive correction to proactive protection. This article will examine why so many security leaders have realized they must “lead before the breach” – not after. Read Now

  • Achieving Clear Audio

    In today’s ever-changing world of security and risk management, effective communication via an intercom and door entry communication system is a critical communication tool to keep a facility’s staff, visitors and vendors safe. Read Now

  • Beyond Apps: Access Control for Today’s Residents

    The modern resident lives in an app-saturated world. From banking to grocery delivery, fitness tracking to ridesharing, nearly every service demands another download. But when it comes to accessing the place you live, most people do not want to clutter their phone with yet another app, especially if its only purpose is to open a door. Read Now

  • Survey: 48 Percent of Worshippers Feel Less Safe Attending In-Person Services

    Almost half (48%) of those who attend religious services say they feel less safe attending in-person due to rising acts of violence at places of worship. In fact, 39% report these safety concerns have led them to change how often they attend in-person services, according to new research from Verkada conducted online by The Harris Poll among 1,123 U.S. adults who attend a religious service or event at least once a month. Read Now

  • AI Used as Part of Sophisticated Espionage Campaign

    A cybersecurity inflection point has been reached in which AI models has become genuinely useful in cybersecurity operation. But to no surprise, they can used for both good works and ill will. Systemic evaluations show cyber capabilities double in six months, and they have been tracking real-world cyberattacks showing how malicious actors were using AI capabilities. These capabilities were predicted and are expected to evolve, but what stood out for researchers was how quickly they have done so, at scale. Read Now

Most   Popular

New Products

  • Camden CV-7600 High Security Card Readers

    Camden CV-7600 High Security Card Readers

    Camden Door Controls has relaunched its CV-7600 card readers in response to growing market demand for a more secure alternative to standard proximity credentials that can be easily cloned. CV-7600 readers support MIFARE DESFire EV1 & EV2 encryption technology credentials, making them virtually clone-proof and highly secure.

  • QCS7230 System-on-Chip (SoC)

    QCS7230 System-on-Chip (SoC)

    The latest Qualcomm® Vision Intelligence Platform offers next-generation smart camera IoT solutions to improve safety and security across enterprises, cities and spaces. The Vision Intelligence Platform was expanded in March 2022 with the introduction of the QCS7230 System-on-Chip (SoC), which delivers superior artificial intelligence (AI) inferencing at the edge.

  • FEP GameChanger

    FEP GameChanger

    Paige Datacom Solutions Introduces Important and Innovative Cabling Products GameChanger Cable, a proven and patented solution that significantly exceeds the reach of traditional category cable will now have a FEP/FEP construction.