United, Alaska flights report GPS jamming near Los Angeles

Several commercial flights reported GPS jamming in airspace around Los Angeles on the morning of September 25, according to an aviation news account of the disruptions.

United Airlines flight UA1962, an Airbus A321neo registered N24542, left Los Angeles International Airport shortly after midnight. At 07:36 UTC, its crew told air traffic controllers that satellite navigation systems had been compromised soon after the aircraft began climbing away from the airport.

About forty minutes later, at 08:15 UTC, the crew of United flight UA1866 reported similar interference. That flight was traveling from San Francisco International Airport to Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport and was cruising at 35,000 feet when the signal problems were noted near the Los Angeles area.

Neither aircraft reported physical damage or any loss of flight control. Commercial aircraft carry multiple redundant navigation systems, including ground-based radio beacons and inertial reference systems, which allow them to keep navigating when satellite signals are unavailable.

Data monitoring services indicated the interference extended beyond land routes. An offshore sector off the coast of Los Angeles was experiencing active GPS disruption, according to live tracking. One aircraft affected in that area was Alaska Airlines flight AS222, a Boeing 737 MAX 9 registered N953AK, which was bound for Kailua-Kona after departing San Diego and encountered the degradation along its Pacific route.