A Failed Gear Likely Caused Atlanta Airport Power Outage

ATLANTA, GA — Investigators believe that a failed piece of gear in an underground electrical facility caused the fire that led to a massive power outage Sunday at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.

"While evaluation of the incident is ongoing, Georgia Power believes that a piece of Georgia Power switchgear located in an underground electrical facility could have failed and started a fire," the power company said in a news release. "This fire was located adjacent to redundant circuit cables and switching mechanisms serving the airport and those cables were damaged, resulting in the outage and loss of redundant service methods."

By early afternoon Monday, things were beginning to return to a semblance of normalcy at the world's busiest airport where, a day earlier, the outage plunged thousands of travelers into darkness for nearly 11 hours.

People arriving for flights Monday morning at the world's busiest airport were greeted by massive crowds and long, snaking lines after the massive, 11-hour outage. Hartsfield-Jackson was urging anyone with plans to travel Monday to allow lots of extra time and people who had tickets to fly on Sunday were instructed to reprint those tickets on Monday.

A total of 1,100 flights by Atlanta-based Delta and another 100 from other airlines were canceled because of the outage, which started around 1 p.m. and lasted in most of the airport until shortly before midnight. Early Monday, Delta already had canceled another 300 flights.

Power was restored to most of the airport by 11:45 p.m. after the outage, which started around 1 p.m.

Georgia Power said the fire was extinguished by firefighters before its own crews could enter the area to assess damage and begin repairs. In addition to the fire, responding crews faced hazardous fumes and smoke which had to fully clear prior to beginning restoration work.

The blaze impacted not only the underground facilities, but also substations serving the airport. Georgia Power says its system responded properly by isolating areas where equipment wasn't operating correctly to ensure safety and minimize damage. No personnel or passengers were in danger at any time, Georgia Power said.

Shortly before noon Monday, the Federal Aviation Administration said on Twitter that operations at the airport were expected to be back to normal by midday. Air traffic control facilities were fully operational and staffed, the FAA said, and the agency was continuing to work with the airport and other stakeholders.

In a news release Sunday evening, Georgia Power said the outage appeared to have been caused by a fire at one of the company's stations beneath the airport. The fire "caused extensive damage" in an underground Georgia Power facility. The blaze had to be extinguished by fire crews before Georgia Power workers could enter the facility to assess damage and begin fixing it.

On Monday, Georgia Power's president and CEO apologized to the people impacted by the outage.

"From our standpoint, we apologize for the inconvenience," Paul Bowers said to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Bowers said the fire happened in a tunnel that runs alongside the airport's Plane Train near Concourse E.

He said crews were monitoring the fixes that restored power late Sunday and investigating the cause of the blaze. He said foul play is not suspected.

The impact of the Atlanta fire on travel throughout the country was significant. Not just a popular destination and departure point, the Atlanta airport is a major hub through which many U.S. flights are routed and is a common spot for passengers to transfer from one flight to another.

Travel expert Peter Greenberg says planes this week are mostly full. He told CBS This Morning the effect on air travel across the country is “big time.”

Nonstop flights are full, he said, but if you go through one or or two other cities to get across the country you might be able to rebook. And airlines are waiving rebooking fees for passengers who need to change their plans because of the power outage.

While crews were still working to determine the exact cause of the outage, frustration was high — particularly among those stuck for hours because of it.

Anthony Foxx, the U.S. Secretary of Transportation under President Barack Obama, blasted the airport for the total loss of power. He was one of the many passengers first stuck on a plane on the ground at Atlanta, and then in the terminal.

He said on Twitter, "Total and abject failure here at ATL Airport today. I am stuck on @delta flight, passengers and crew tolerating it. But there is no excuse for lack of workable redundant power source. NONE!”

After about five hours, Foxx said he was able to get off his plane and into a terminal, and then headed to a car rental facility to try to make it home to North Carolina. The lack of answers Sunday about the power problems troubled him.

"I have no idea what happened here today. We all understand that snafus happen and most of the folks down here are doing their jobs to the best of their ability. But, whatever the cause, it feels like this one was compounded by confusion and poor communication," Foxx wrote.

With thousands of people stranded late Sunday, the City of Atlanta opened up the Georgia International Convention Center as a shelter of sorts and provided shuttle services for people who needed a place to stay. The mess also prompted something that, in Georgia, may qualify as a Christmas miracle.

Mayor Kasim Reed asked Atlanta-based Chick-fil-A — which famously closes its doors on Sundays due to its founders' religious faith — if it could help feed stranded passengers. CEO Dan Cathy agreed and thousands of meals were handed out late Sunday.

Travelers planning to fly into or out of Atlanta on Monday were being urged to check their flight status with their airline and monitor the Federal Aviation Administration's website. Remarkably, by about 9:30 a.m. Monday, the FAA was reporting that flights at Hartsfield-Jackson were leaving and arriving on time (perhaps, in part, because so many were canceled).

Patch's Deb Belt contributed to this report.

A traveler sleeps on a baggage carousel at Hartfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, Sunday, Dec. 17, 2017, in Atlanta. A sudden power outage at the airport on Sunday grounded scores of flights and passengers during one of the busiest travel times of the year. (AP Photo/Branden Camp)