ATC
Eram Software Function Caused Automation Lapse, FAA Says
Prime contractor Lockheed Martin is investigating why the problem was not identified during testing of the system, according to the FAA.
The FAA announced on April 30 that Eram was operational at 20 enroute ATC centers nationwide. (Photo: Lockheed Martin)
The FAA announced on April 30 that Eram was operational at 20 enroute ATC centers nationwide. (Photo: Lockheed Martin)

The automation lapse at an ATC center that disrupted hundreds of flights in the Mid-Atlantic region of the U.S. this past weekend has been traced to a software issue with the center’s new enroute automation modernization (Eram) system. The problem was not revealed during testing of the Lockheed Martin system, the Federal Aviation Administration said in a statement released late on August 17.