FAA, NWS to continue 'long-standing' partnership despite reports to contrary
The offices at the center of the report were the Center Weather Service Units (CWSUs) that operate at the 21 Air Route Traffic Control Centers (ARTCCs) across the U.S.
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WASHINGTON – Officials at both the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Weather Service said Wednesday that their collaboration aimed at specific forecasting for air traffic routes will continue despite reports to the contrary that circulated last week.
The offices at the center of the report were the Center Weather Service Units (CWSUs) that operate at the 21 Air Route Traffic Control Centers (ARTCCs) across the U.S.
The ARTCCs are responsible for directing commercial traffic across the U.S., primarily above 18,000 feet, where thousands of flights operate daily.
The role of the CWSU is to produce "specialized tailored forecasts and advisories of thunderstorms, turbulence, icing, and precipitation affecting the National Airspace System", according to the unit's website.
"The Federal Aviation Administration and the National Weather Service will continue our long-standing partnership to provide weather services to ensure the safety of the National Airspace System," the agencies said in a joint statement sent to FOX Weather.
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A Delta Airbus A321 airplane takes off into a smoke haze from Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in Arlington, Virginia, June 8, 2023, as smoke from wildfires in Canada blankets the area.
(SAUL LOEB / AFP / Getty Images)
Partnership rooted in disaster
The catalyst of the CWSUs was Southern Airways Flight 242, which crashed April 4, 1977, en route to Atlanta. Of the 85 people on board, 62 of them were killed.
The airplane flew through a severe storm that contained hail and caused the engines to lose power.
The National Transportation Safety Board noted that the flight crew was unable to establish the severity of the storm before entering and reversing course due to the limitations in onboard weather radar at the time.
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Wreckage of Southern Airways Flight 242.
(FAA)