ATL Power Outage

No power on the concourses so passengers probably can't get food either if the registers are inop. Oh boy, messy.

Someone said this guy was on his way out of the terminal, walking quickly. You know them controllers! And if I'm not mistaken, that sure looks like POA's @Timbeck2! Gasp!

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I don’t understand. Why is powers required to land and takeoff?
 
SkyHog said:
I don’t understand. Why is powers required to land and takeoff?
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ATC has back up generators their equipment, and the airport for the runway lighting and such, but there's no power to operate the jetways, elevators, etc evidently. IOW planes could land and takeoff, but the problem is greater. ATL is so big and busy there's probably outbound flights still occupying the gates, so inbounds aren't being accepted. Where ya gonna put them? I saw it almost every year when I flew out of there. At least it's not snowing or an ice storm lol.

More info:
http://www.ajc.com/news/local/breaking-power-outage-reported-atlanta-airport/fYiM6b1OHi5G27m38v6V2H/
 
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SkyHog said:
I don’t understand. Why is powers required to land and takeoff?
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Taking off without power requires some sort of tow...or maybe toe...or something
 
mscard88 said:
ATC has back up generators for the runway lighting and comm, but there's no power to operate the jetways, elevators, etc. IOW planes could land and takeoff, but the problem is greater. ATL is so big and busy there's probably outbound flights still occupying the gates, so inbounds aren't being accepted. Where ya gonna put them? I saw it almost every year when I flew out of there. At least it's not snowing or an ice storm lol.

More info:
http://www.ajc.com/news/local/breaking-power-outage-reported-atlanta-airport/fYiM6b1OHi5G27m38v6V2H/
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The terminal building has backup generators as well. Sounds like the problem is not with the power supply, but the power distribution.
 
Ken Ibold said:
The terminal building has backup generators as well. Sounds like the problem is not with the power supply, but the power distribution.
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That article mentions a cut cable, so you may be correct.
 
Sounds like a total **** show. No root cause for outage, and lot's of finger pointing.

Supposed to be ATL - ORD tomorrow am - guessing that's not likely.
 
Ken Ibold said:
The terminal building has backup generators as well. Sounds like the problem is not with the power supply, but the power distribution.
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Power on the South side GA and Cargo ramps, but nothing on the north side.
Twitter says someone finally got wise and hooked up a couple of power carts to gates, and they have been unloading a plane or two at a time.

Knowing what I know about the clusterfrack that is ATL management and ATL government, I cannot IMAGINE the levels of management and politicians it took to get that done.
Or, the techs will be fired for it in the morning.
 
Bigger mess now. Airport closed, all flights cancelled. Gotta get the passengers off the planes and everyone out of the airport, and into hotels.
 
Airport management was probably so busy picking and choosing who gets good buddy deals they didn't have time to perform an FMEA...
 
mscard88 said:
Bigger mess now. Airport closed, all flights cancelled. Gotta get the passengers off the planes and everyone out of the airport, and into hotels.
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Yikes...!!!! What a nightmare.... for the airport and passengers.
 
mscard88 said:
Positive is the pilots are still on the clock! $$$$$$$
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Heck yeah!! That's when you shut down both engines, slide your seat back and read a book.

I knew one captain who kept a small deck of cards and chips in his bag.
 
ARFlyer said:
Heck yeah!! That's when you shut down both engines, slide your seat back and read a book.

I knew one captain who kept a small deck of cards and chips in his bag.
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Ka-ching as we used to say. :D
 
I'm glad I'm off this weekend and have vacation the next few days. As a local charter operator, when these things happen, our phone rings off the hook. It will take several days for them to recover.
 
I’ve got a flight booked at 9:00 tomorrow morning to go to Tampa to fish with a buddy and go to Monday Night Football Falcons/Bucs. This morning I tried to change it to a flight this evening which ended up being full when I tried to book it, I guess I was lucky. But, now I don’t know if I’ll make it at all tomorrow, I’m not sure how they’ll handle today’s passengers on tomorrow’s flights? Of course I don’t even know if they will have a plane to fly!
I checked in on line and it says “on time” but I’ll believe that when I see it.
Update on the power outage, Georgia Power had a fire in a substation that serves the airport. Supposed to be up and running by midnight!
 
The drama ensues as quoted from CNN:

People used flashlights on their phones to see where they were going, said passenger Heather Kerwin, an Atlanta resident bound for New York.

"There were a few emergency lights on, but it was really dark -- felt totally apocalyptic," she said. "I decided to get the hell out of there."
 
Dammit - a day late and a dollar short once again!
 
N747JB said:
I’ve got a flight booked at 9:00 tomorrow morning to go to Tampa to fish with a buddy and go to Monday Night Football Falcons/Bucs. This morning I tried to change it to a flight this evening which ended up being full when I tried to book it, I guess I was lucky. But, now I don’t know if I’ll make it at all tomorrow, I’m not sure how they’ll handle today’s passengers on tomorrow’s flights? Of course I don’t even know if they will have a plane to fly!
I checked in on line and it says “on time” but I’ll believe that when I see it.
Update on the power outage, Georgia Power had a fire in a substation that serves the airport. Supposed to be up and running by midnight!
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Don't plan on it, recovery is going to take DAYS....
XCL's already starting for morning. Too many crews out of place.
Lol... Lots of overtime available tonight in the System Ops Center, I'm sure.
 
455 Bravo Uniform said:
Does that mean ATC would clear bug mashers thru the Bravo this afternoon/evening?:)
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Not freakin' likely! I've yet ti be cleared into the Bravo. Next time, I think I'll cancel flight following and troll 2nm outside the magic green airspace line at 9500, right up the east side. B@st@rds never let me through, so I get a 30-minute detour through the arrival gate, where I'm in their way . . . .
 
Going through the Bravo in ATL is easy if you are going North/South due the runway configurations. East/West, no chance in hell.
 
N747JB said:
I’ve got a flight booked at 9:00 tomorrow morning to go to Tampa to fish with a buddy and go to Monday Night Football Falcons/Bucs. This morning I tried to change it to a flight this evening which ended up being full when I tried to book it, I guess I was lucky. But, now I don’t know if I’ll make it at all tomorrow, I’m not sure how they’ll handle today’s passengers on tomorrow’s flights? Of course I don’t even know if they will have a plane to fly!
I checked in on line and it says “on time” but I’ll believe that when I see it.
Update on the power outage, Georgia Power had a fire in a substation that serves the airport. Supposed to be up and running by midnight!
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Why aren't you flying your plane? o_O
 
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