Crews Repair Phone Lines to Lindbergh Field

Airline service was restored to normal at Lindbergh Field on Saturday following a disruption in communications caused by an inadvertent severing of telephone lines, officials said.

The problem caused delays averaging 20 minutes for incoming and outgoing flights for about three hours Friday afternoon, said Dan Wilkens, a spokesman for the Port of San Diego, which runs the airport.

The disruption began at 2:30 p.m., when a contractor drilling below Harbor Drive mistakenly cut two copper telephone cables, which contain lines that serve the airport, said Kate Flynn, a spokeswoman for Pacific Bell.

Among the wires cut were lines connecting the air traffic control tower with several of its communication and data links.

Air traffic controllers quickly switched to a backup radio system, Wilkens said, but the loss of the telephone lines complicated communications.

Throughout the interruption, Wilkens said, regional controllers at Miramar Naval Air Station maintained direct contact with pilots.

Officials initially put incoming flights on hold until an alternate communication method was operating, Wilkens said.

The delays diminished as Pacific Bell crews spliced the split wires together.

Communications were back to normal by Saturday morning, airport officials said.