"Ghost" planes on radar at O'Hare airport: Paper

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CHICAGO (Reuters) - "Ghost" airplanes, or images of airplanes that do not exist or are far away, are popping up with more frequency on the radar screens that control air traffic at Chicago's O'Hare Airport, it was reported Saturday.

On a few occasions, air traffic controllers unnecessarily ordered pilots to make dangerous sudden turns or descents to avoid the false radar images, but no near collisions have occurred, the Chicago Sun Times reported in its Sunday edition.

"The ghosting is a complete terror for the air traffic controllers," Charles Bunting, president of the National Air Traffic Controllers Association in Elgin, Illinois, told the paper.

Air traffic controllers said at least 12 "ghost" images have appeared over the last few weeks at the Terminal Radar Approach Control facility in Elgin. That facility handles the traffic for O'Hare, which is the world's second busiest airport.

Passengers should not worry about the radar glitches, a spokesman for the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) told the paper.

-- Uncle Bob (Unclb0b@aol.com), May 20, 2000

Answers

hmmm...computer virus?

-- cin (cin@cin.cin), May 20, 2000.

This ghost image problem has also been reported by the military. It seems to be related to solar flare activity and is expected to remian a problem throughout the summer.

-- Jim Cooke (JJCooke@yahoo.com), May 21, 2000.

On a few occasions, air traffic controllers unnecessarily ordered pilots to make dangerous sudden turns or descents to avoid the false radar images, but no near collisions have occurred.....Passengers should not worry about the radar glitches, a spokesman for the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) told the paper.

Dangerous sudden turns or descents. Nope, nothing to worry about here. Is it any wonder that a LOT of us do not believe a frickin word that comes out of the govt?

-- Uncle Deedah (unkeed@yahoo.com), May 21, 2000.

Above mentioned Chicago Sun-Times article containing additional details.

-- David L (bumpkin@dnet.net), May 21, 2000.