Systemwide communications failure
 

We are being told here in Houston (11:45PM local time) that United's internal communication system with its planes is down and they will update us at 12:15.

I heard only ExpressJet systems. Was it really network-wide?

Isn't "ExpressJet" network-wide by definition? :D "travel the friendly skies on a ERJ-145" is the new slogan, no? ;)

http://www.usatoday.com/story/todayi...ights/2916151/

It was XJET.

It lasted about an hour. Apparently someone doing construction in Atlanta sliced the fiber-optic cable to XJETs control center. Phones, internet, and ACARS all went down.

And I thought all their money was being spent on redundant systems and communications because it sure as hell isn't going into their aircraft. Every ERJ145 I have flown on is a rickety old piece of aluminum that doesn't feel airworthy to me.

-RM

Good thing you are not (at least AFAIK) a statistician.

"The ERJ 145 family of aircraft has no reported crashes or fatalities due to mechanical malfunction in over 15 million hours (as of June 2009) of flight time for the fleet." From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Embraer_145
Given the shorter haul useage and frequent quick turns, 15 million flight hours is a very good record for zero mechanical fatalities or crashes, and AFAIK, that 15,000,000 number has only increased since 2009 with the same record of 0/0.

^ :D