A federal official with direct knowledge of the investigation says a software update caused the nationwide US ground stop, MS NOW reports. The official spoke on condition of anonymity, and the FAA has not publicly confirmed any cause.
This is the third account of a technical cause to emerge. CNN, citing an airline source, earlier reported a problem with network routers. CBS News, citing multiple sources, reported that an update to a communications network operated by L3Harris caused the system to reboot and crash.
MS NOW does not say whether the software update its source describes is the same one reported by CBS News. None of the three accounts has been independently checked.
MS NOW, in a report updated at 7.27pm ET (00.27 UK), also says a Justice Department source told it officials were not currently tracking any potential connection to terrorism. That source described the problem as a "frequency issue".
The outlet quotes an FAA alert as saying the stop came "following communication issues impacting multiple Air Route Traffic Control Centers", and says the FAA reported technicians were investigating.
Two people at the FAA told MS NOW this is only the second nationwide ground stop since 9/11, with the previous one in 2023.