A deliberate fire which disabled the Federal Aviation Administration’s Chicago Center in Aurora last year highlighted the agency’s insufficient emergency response plans and security protocols, a Department of Transportation report said.
The shutdown in September 2014 caused major air traffic disruption and ‘exposed vulnerabilities in a system that is extremely important to our state and our nation’s economic health and security,’ investigators said.
The fire was started by a disgruntled employee who has since been jailed.
The fire caused $5 million in damage and ‘impacted thousands of flights across the region’ a DOT statement said.
It said the facility ‘did not contain procedures for transferring air traffic and airspace responsibilities from Chicago Center to other facilities.’
Following the incident the FAA conducted a major review of contingency plans but ‘significant work remains to prevent or mitigate the impact of similar events in the future.’
A joint statement by Illinois lawmakers said: "The report underscores that concerns about weaknesses in the air traffic control infrastructure, and a lack of flexibility to respond to such a crisis, are not unique to Chicago, but likely apply at facilities across the country."
