FAA Investigating Pilot Reports of Possible 5G Interference

Fears that pilots would experience possible interference from 5G wireless signals near U.S. airports have come true, Bloomberg reported Wednesday (Feb. 2).

Since the mobile service was implemented in mid-January, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said the agency has received more than 100 pilot reports of possible interference, including three near Chicago O’Hare International Airport.

Reports of irregularities on aircraft’s radar altimeters, the device that measures an airplane’s height above the ground, are being investigated by the FAA.

While interference from 5G service has been ruled out in many cases, it is unclear whether the others reveal a safety hazard or pilots being overly cautious, a source told Bloomberg.

In a statement, the FAA said it is using established safety-reporting systems to examine a handful of reports of possible 5G interference. So far, the agency said, none of these reports have been validated.

Last fall, a debate ignited between federal agencies and industry groups over 5G’s potential impact on airline safety. The clash was between the FAA and the aviation industry on the one side and the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), which regulates commercial use of the airwaves, and telecom groups, on the other.

Read more: Aviation Industry Emerges As Unexpected Obstacle In Path of 5G Rollout

In January, the CEOs of Delta Air Lines, American Airlines, United Airlines, Southwest Airlines and others, said there could be dire implications as AT&T and Verizon implement their new 5G technology.

Learn more: US Airline Chiefs Expect ‘Chaos’ When 5G Goes Live

The airlines said the new C-Band 5G service could make a lot of widebody aircrafts unusable. That could “potentially strand tens of thousands of Americans overseas” and become chaotic for U.S. flights, the companies said.

“Betting on whether or not the average pilot can resolve the situation is not a bet the FAA wants to make,” Jeff Guzzetti, the former head of accident investigations with the FAA, said.