Nation IN BRIEF : ILLINOIS : O’Hare Radar System Is Malfunctioning

Radar equipment at Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport has been malfunctioning for months, losing track of planes and giving images of others in empty air space, officials said. Images appear and disappear usually for 15 to 20 seconds, distracting air traffic controllers but not long enough to jeopardize safety, said Jim Dermody, a Federal Aviation Administration spokesman. Controllers also have reported seeing double images of airplanes. Dermody said the problem wasn’t to blame for three near-collisions during the past month in the Chicago area. The FAA suspects the problem is caused by a new cockpit computer system that alerts pilots to approaching planes, but the agency hasn’t reached firm conclusions.