A busy Sunday morning at Houston’s Terminal Radar Approach Control facility, working the post-Christmas rush, took a turn for the worse when staffers were faced with a messy, aromatic, and disgusting sewage spill inside the building. Controllers continued to work, taking breaks every 20 minutes to seek fresh air outside the facility. The FAA slowed the workload with ground delays, snarling traffic throughout the region. The sewage spill left 25 controllers reporting ill effects, including lightheadedness, nausea and headaches, according to a news release from the National Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA). The TRACON building has been troubled by flooding in the past, NATCA said. About 500 flights were delayed.
Houston TRACON Deals With Sewage Leak
Key Takeaways:
- A major sewage spill at Houston's Terminal Radar Approach Control (TRACON) facility disrupted operations on a busy post-Christmas Sunday.
- Twenty-five air traffic controllers reported illnesses such as lightheadedness and nausea but continued to work, taking frequent breaks outside.
- The incident led to FAA-mandated ground delays, significantly snarling regional air traffic and delaying approximately 500 flights.
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