UK Air Traffic Control Computers Fail

Air-traffic control computers at the West Drayton control center, near Heathrow Airport, failed causing subsequent failures at the control center in Swanwick, Hampshire. Although the current failure is being attributed to “creaky” old systems that are unstable, the previous incident was attributed to a data-input error. (#1)

The glitch meant that all the routes and schedules information normally produced by the computer - called flight strip - had to be prepared by hand. (#2)