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Software Upgrade Crashes UK Air Traffic Control System

Posted by michael on from the quality-is-priority-1 dept.

pitpe writes "Earlier today the computer system controlling most of the UK's airspace failed, after tests in preparation for an upgrade failed. The original failure occurred at the West Drayton centre, which is an old (70's) system, as opposed to the new system at Swanage, which has had its own problems. A system wide reboot to fix the system resulted in the entire system being taken down temporarily."

18 of 233 comments (clear)

  1. alternative system by dcrulz · · Score: 1, Funny

    Maybe they can just use Prince Charles' ears for Radar?

  2. Damn... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

    And I was going to put the blame on M$, but if it's a 70's system we're talking about I'll just shut up.

    1. Re:Damn... by not_a_product_id · · Score: 3, Funny

      Microsoft Air-traffic Control Software? Shudder...

      --

      ---
      We spoke for about a half an hour. I don't recall a thing we said. - Colorblind James Experience

    2. Re:Damn... by shad0w47 · · Score: 1, Funny

      "Air-traffic Control XP has detected a new airplane in your airspace. Before using this new airplane, please restart your the Flight Control System"

      Uh-oh...

      --
      "I did this cuz Linux gives me a woody"
    3. Re:Damn... by InShadows · · Score: 4, Funny

      Microsoft has been testing around with flight software since XP called MSFlight.. here's the article to prove it..

    4. Re:Damn... by Mr.+Bad+Example · · Score: 2, Funny

      > Microsoft Air-traffic Control Software? Shudder...

      It looks like you're trying to direct a pilot to land a plane. Would you like to:

      - Have the pilot land at Cirque du Soleil and tell him it's Denver International Airport?

      - Redirect the plane to Chicago, but send the luggage on to Orlando?

      - Adjust the ground level to send the plane and all aboard to fiery doom like that scene in Die Hard 2?

    5. Re:Damn... by LabRat007 · · Score: 2, Funny


      "Microsoft Air-traffic Control Software?" Shudder...

      I can see it now...


      Pilot: Air Traffic control (ATC) we've lost our nav con please advise!

      ATC: Please remain calm and click on start then control panel. Once in the control panel double-click(TM) on game controler - we need to reconfigure your yolk before we enter admin mode on the nav con system.

      Pilot: I don't see a |"start" button.

      ATC: Ok sir, I need you to find the windows key on your systems keyboard.

      Pilot: Whats a windows key?

      ATC: On most models the windows key is found on the lower left section of the keyboard. Occastionally it is found in the upper right section.

      Pilot: I still can't find it. I think we're lossing altitude.

      ATC: Just look key by key until you find it.

      Pilot: I don't think we have time for this.

      ATC: Just look sir.

      several minutes pass

      Pilot: Oh, there it is. Thats funny I was looking at it the whole time (nervous chuckle).

      Pilot: Hey, it doesnt do anything!

      ATC: What color is it sir?

      Pilot: Blue.

      ATC: Ok sir, I need you to find a function key of the same color. When pressed at the same time the desired effect will occure.

      Pilot: (Static)

      ATC: Sir?

      Pilot: (static)

      ATC: You seem to be off radar - sir are you there?

      --
      "Capital punishment makes the state into a murderer. Imprisonment makes the state into a gay dungeon-master"
    6. Re:Damn... by identity0 · · Score: 3, Funny

      Right, everyone knows that if you've got mission-critical, life-or-death systems that need ten nine's reliability, you should run them on iMacs.

      "I was directing air traffic on my ATC computer, giving a flight path to an KLM flight into Heathrow, when suddenly it was like *beep beep beep beep* and half of my planes were gone.

      "I was like, 'Uunh?'

      "It DEVOURED my flight path.

      "It was a really good flight path.

      "And then I had to send it again, and it wasn't as good 'cuase I had to do it fast. And the KLM crashed short of Heathrow.

      "It was... a bummer.

      "My name is Ellen Feiss, and I'm an air-traffic controller."

      Ph33r.

  3. Three fingers by panda+attack · · Score: 3, Funny

    Ah the good old reboot and hope for the best method :D

    1. Re:Three fingers by Fishstick · · Score: 4, Funny

      Hey, it worked for Samuel L Jackson...

      this is a UNIX system, I know this!!!

      --

      There is much cruelty in the universe, John.
      Yeah, we seem to have the tour map.

  4. Re:This wouldnt've happened...... by Stevyn · · Score: 1, Funny

    Yeah, it would have never installed in the first place.

  5. And the Wizard said: by the_twisted_pair · · Score: 5, Funny

    It appears you are trying to land a plane. Would you like to:

    [x] Allow Windows to detect new hardware ?
    [ ] Allow planes to circle in uncertainty ?

    [x] Show this window at all airports

  6. Re:new linux distro idea by cpghost · · Score: 3, Funny

    Check out gflightcontrol-0.01, then run the usual:

    ./configure
    make
    make install
    make crash [plane] #optional

    Of course, it requires gnome 2.6 and all deps. Planes will have to circle while everything emerges.

    --
    cpghost at Cordula's Web.
  7. Re:This wouldn't have happened... by British · · Score: 3, Funny

    This wouldn't have happened had they been using Linux.

    No, the air traffic controllers would still be figuring out how to cut/copy/paste while a 747 is on it's final approach.

  8. Downgrade? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    In the tradition of software upgrades this one also became a downgrade. Microsoft was belived to have pioneared this technique but it seems the 1970's air traffic system predated microsoft.

  9. Re:new linux distro idea by Rakshasa+Taisab · · Score: 2, Funny

    Slackware has had ATC for years.

    --
    - These characters were randomly selected.
  10. Windows Update by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Funny

    Unconfirmed reports are stating that aparently one of the air traffic controllers accidently clicked on the "Windows update" icon. :P

  11. Re:So what? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    1980-88. Or have you determined some new method, previously unknown to science, of telling the difference between Thatcher's policies and Reagan's during those years?