May 4, 2004, 3:57PM Houston Flights returning to normal after computer glitch By BILL HENSEL Jr. Copyright 2004 Houston Chronicle Air travel in Houston and South Texas was struggling to return to normal this afternoon after being disrupted by a computer glitch at the Federal Aviation Administration's regional control center. The problem was caused by the installation of new software this morning, which affected the FAA's ability to handle automated flight plan data. The previous version of the software was reinstalled and working normally, but not before numerous flights were disrupted by as much as two hours. Traffic at Bush Intercontinental Airport was nearly back to a normal schedule by this afternoon, but Hobby Airport continued to experience some delays, Houston Airport System spokesman Ernie DeSoto said. That's probably because Hobby handles more regional traffic, he said. Houston-based Continental Airlines said that in all, about 40 of its flights were affected. The problem began about 7:50 a.m., according to the FAA. Primary radar coverage was maintained, but without any identifying data and the automatic processing of the data to display on computer screens for air traffic controllers. As a result, controllers at the Houston-based center ordered a halt in takeoffs at all airports they cover, including South Texas and small portions of New Mexico and Louisiana. In addition to Bush Intercontinental Airport and Hobby, 11 other commercial airports in the region were affected. Among the airports were New Orleans and Baton Rouge in Louisiana. The FAA's Houston center handles high-altitude "enroute traffic" above 18,000 feet in South Texas and over parts of the Gulf of Mexico. Aircraft that already was in the air bound for or passing through Houston Center airspace were not affected, the FAA said. The agency's "ground stop" order was lifted about 10:30 a.m., but a ripple effect continued to cause delays. The FAA will determine "what caused the problem with the new software, and why, " the agency said in a statement.