Dozens of American Airlines flights delayed by map glitch

[webfact]

Dozens of American Airlines flights delayed by map glitch
DAVID KOENIG, AP Airlines Writer

FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) — More than 50 American Airlines flights have been delayed in the past two days by a glitch in navigation-map software loaded on pilots' iPads.

A spokeswoman for the airline, Andrea Huguely, said that pilots were deleting and reinstalling the map app to fix the problem.

Huguely said that 24 flights were delayed Tuesday night and about 30 on Wednesday. She said no flights were canceled. However, some passengers said on social media that they left planes after pilots announced delays.

The software was made by Jeppesen, a division of aircraft manufacturer Boeing Co. Jeppesen spokesman Michael Pound said the problem was traced to a duplicate chart for Reagan National Airport, "which was causing the app to become unresponsive."

Pound said trouble-shooters figured out that the delete-and-reinstall fix worked as long as the pilot didn't call up the map for Reagan National again. American is making paper copies of that airport's navigation maps available to pilots.

The duplicate map will be removed when the software is updated next week, Pound said. The app containing the map error is used only by American.

Pilots at American switched to iPads in 2013 to replace paper maps, aircraft manuals and other material that could weigh more than 35 pounds. The airline says that the lighter weight alone saves 400,000 gallons of fuel per year.


-- (c) Associated Press 2015-04-30

[LuckyLew]

Should have given them a samsung

[fredge45]

Saves fuel but they haven't any idea of where they're going or coming from?

[dunque]

Strangely quiet thread - I wonder if this would have been the case if this had been Thai Airways rather than American ?

[F430murci]

Strangely quiet thread - I wonder if this would have been the case if this had been Thai Airways rather than American ?

Why would that make a difference? This is just a stupid and boring topic unless you are the traveler stranded.

American Airlines/US Air absolutely sucks. Worst airline ever. Rude, always late, don't hold connections like other airlines when weather issues and I have had problems with them every time I have to fly with them.

Right now, I am trying to get them to remove a second duplicate charge to my credit card. What should be an easy matter is taking an act of Congress and is a complete waste if time. I would just dispute, but I cannot run the risk of having the business trip canceled in less than two weeks.

Edited April 30, 2015 by F430murci

[Jonmarleesco]

'The airline says that the lighter weight alone saves 400,000 gallons of fuel per year.' Except when a pilot, confused by his iPad, flies in circles trying to makes sense of his Jeppesen map app.

[ableguy]

Strangely quiet thread - I wonder if this would have been the case if this had been Thai Airways rather than American ?

Why would that make a difference? This is just a stupid and boring topic unless you are the traveler stranded.

American Airlines/US Air absolutely sucks. Worst airline ever. Rude, always late, don't hold connections like other airlines when weather issues and I have had problems with them every time I have to fly with them.

Right now, I am trying to get them to remove a second duplicate charge to my credit card. What should be an easy matter is taking an act of Congress and is a complete waste if time. I would just dispute, but I cannot run the risk of having the business trip canceled in less than two weeks.

You seem to be a sucker for punishment.

[tolsti]

Paper doesn't need resets. It seems that reliance on pads has become almost universal. Just as auto land and computer controlled FMS have taken away a lot of the hands on flying that used to happen. All pilots learn to navigate and to fly but how often do they actually get to fly hands on and learn the feel of their aircraft that day?