A visual companion to research brief 001
Understand the connections.
Start with a question. See what the sources say, what remains uncertain, and how each topic relates to another.
Read the executive summary →Start here
Follow one connection at a time
Connected topics
Each card explains why two topics appear together in the research. A connection alone does not establish cause.
Show a simple diagram
Only this topic and its connected topics are shown. Each line names the relationship. Numbers match the explanations below. Select a connected topic to follow it.
Connections in the research
The complete text version below includes sources and limits for each relationship.
Legacy equipment and Modernization delivery
Documented record · Earlier risks and modernization
GAO’s 2024 report assessed system sustainability and modernization of critical systems. It documents that these risks predated the May 2025 program announcement.
Historical context does not identify the cause of the 2026 incident.
Modernization delivery and Costs and schedules
Documented record · Audit findings and agency response
GAO’s 2026 review linked modernization delivery to the need for complete cost estimates and an integrated schedule. DOT said program estimates and schedules already existed; GAO maintained that costs and dependencies were omitted.
This is a documented audit finding and response, not an incident-cause finding.
Modernization delivery and SMART rollout
Official statement · Announced software work
FAA’s June announcement described work on FMDS and SMART within its modernization effort.
This records program scope as announced. It does not establish a live connection to equipment affected by the incident.
Legacy equipment and Communications and radar
Official statement · Legacy overload explanation
Duffy attributed inconsistent radar and communications data to overloaded legacy switches and routers and said new IP switches were unaffected.
An attributed preliminary explanation, not a final technical causal analysis.
Communications and radar and National ground stop
Official statement · Reason given for the ground stop
Duffy said instability in radar and communications prompted the precautionary ground stop. FAA advisories separately document the restriction and cancellation.
The notices confirm that the ground stop occurred. They do not verify the technical cause described in the briefing.
[18] DOT official briefing account [16] FAA Advisory 111 national ground stop [17] FAA Advisory 005 national ground stop cancellation
National ground stop and Local effects
Documented record · Coordination after the national stop
FAA’s overnight operations plan describes continued coordination and separate airline-requested ground stops after the national restriction was lifted.
The plan does not quantify local passenger needs, losses or recovery time.
SMART rollout and Human review
Official statement · Human review as described by FAA
FAA said staff review SMART recommendations and local leaders may accept or reject them.
The statement describes a safeguard; operational records are needed to assess its use and effectiveness.
SMART rollout and Training and workload
Official statement · Training during staged rollout
DOT’s SMART fact sheet described continuing testing, training and assessment as capabilities were introduced.
A stated process does not establish which staff completed training before a particular rollout stage.
Changes and testing and Legacy equipment
Official statement · Tentative patching explanation
Mullin tentatively suggested patches and new technology had overwhelmed older systems. The brief asks whether that account has been confirmed, revised or rejected.
Tentative official claim. It is not an established change-to-failure relationship.
[19] Factbase joint briefing transcript [20] White House official briefing recording
Changes and testing and Communications and radar
Unanswered question · Which changes were relevant
Which software, configuration or network changes, if any, preceded the first verified fault, and what do logs show?
A proposed inquiry from the brief. The cited statements explain why it is asked; they do not prove a connection.
[18] DOT official briefing account [19] Factbase joint briefing transcript
Modernization delivery and Changes and testing
Unanswered question · What readiness tests established
Which compatibility, load, backup and rollback tests evaluated the mix of old and new components, and what did acceptance records show?
A proposed inquiry. No conclusion that testing was missing or inadequate.
[9] DOT SMART launch fact sheet [18] DOT official briefing account
Human review and Training and workload
Unanswered question · How oversight worked in practice
What training and recommendation records show how staff used the system and how it affected workload, decision quality and safety?
A proposed inquiry. No measured relationship or effect size is supplied by this map.
[8] FAA SMART limited operations launch [11] Van Hollen congressional pause request and full letter
Modernization delivery and Local effects
Unanswered question · What was operational locally
Which upgrades serving a particular airport were installed, tested and accepted, and which external dependencies remained?
A proposed inquiry. National completion figures cannot establish the readiness of a particular airport.
[4] DOT Modern Skies public progress website [13] DOT E-IDS deployments and progress figures
About the evidence and this explorer
“Variables” means the factors and topics identified in the brief. This is an editorial guide to the reviewed evidence, not a statistical correlation analysis or a complete technical architecture.
Documented records include operational notices and audit findings. Official statements remain attributed, including preliminary explanations. Unanswered questions identify issues for investigation; the sources explain why a question is asked, not prove a connection. These are hidden on first load.
The selection of topics is editorial. Missing connections do not prove that no relationship exists. Position and line length do not indicate importance or probability. Review cutoff: 14 November 2026, 6:15 a.m. EST / 12:15 p.m. CET. This companion uses Edition 2 and introduces no new incident finding.
Examine the full source register →