Weather station problems blamed for delayed flights into Fort Smith
Problems with the National Weather Service’s automated weather information system caused overnight flight delays at the Fort Smith Regional Airport. “We would all be frustrated when our air travel doesn’t go according to plan,” the airport’s director, Michael Griffin, said. “Thursday night, Friday night and Saturday night, those flights all had to come in the next day.Griffin told 40/29 News the weather station went offline last week, forcing pilots to contact the air traffic control tower before departing to Fort Smith.”It’s FAA air traffic controllers. They close at 11 p.m., and after that, any aircraft can still come into Fort Smith, but they’re on what’s called the common traffic advisory frequency, so they can turn the runway lights on,” Griffin said.America Airlines offers three flights daily to and from Fort Smith and the Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport.Currently, there’s no exact date when repairs will be made to the automated weather station at the airport, but it’s not expected to cause any additional flight delays.”American Airlines has adjusted their departure times, which does depart prior to the tower closing and would cancel the need for that automated service,” Griffin said. “So we’re hoping that was a one-time, short-lived inconvenience, and we look forward to things being back to normal.”
Problems with the National Weather Service’s automated weather information system caused overnight flight delays at the Fort Smith Regional Airport.
“We would all be frustrated when our air travel doesn’t go according to plan,” the airport’s director, Michael Griffin, said. “Thursday night, Friday night and Saturday night, those flights all had to come in the next day.
Griffin told 40/29 News the weather station went offline last week, forcing pilots to contact the air traffic control tower before departing to Fort Smith.
“It’s FAA air traffic controllers. They close at 11 p.m., and after that, any aircraft can still come into Fort Smith, but they’re on what’s called the common traffic advisory frequency, so they can turn the runway lights on,” Griffin said.
America Airlines offers three flights daily to and from Fort Smith and the Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport.
Currently, there’s no exact date when repairs will be made to the automated weather station at the airport, but it’s not expected to cause any additional flight delays.
“American Airlines has adjusted their departure times, which does depart prior to the tower closing and would cancel the need for that automated service,” Griffin said. “So we’re hoping that was a one-time, short-lived inconvenience, and we look forward to things being back to normal.”