Jeff McCoy is a senior aviation advisor in the Tetra Tech Federal IT Group with more than 30 years of experience in air traffic operations and infrastructure resiliency.
He most recently served as the deputy vice president of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Technical Operations organization, overseeing more than 10,000 employees responsible for operating and maintaining the National Airspace System (NAS).
During his tenure, Jeff created and led the FAA’s first NAS resiliency team following a major infrastructure fire that caused widespread air traffic disruptions. His leadership helped launch a nationwide resiliency assessment of critical NAS systems and facilities, establishing a strategic framework still used to guide investment decisions, operational continuity, and contingency planning.
Jeff brings deep knowledge of the NAS and a comprehensive understanding of FAA mission objectives, enabling Tetra Tech to deliver integrated, field-ready infrastructure solutions for critical communications and enterprise systems nationwide. He holds a bachelor’s degree from Southern Illinois University.
What does resiliency mean for today's NAS?
The FAA’s focus on resiliency is not solely the result of extreme weather events. While strengthening facilities to improve resiliency during hurricanes and catastrophic weather events is important, the FAA’s resiliency model is focused on identifying, mitigating, responding, and recovering from catastrophic service interruptions regardless of the cause—cyber, technological, or human error. This approach aligns closely with Tetra Tech’s infrastructure resiliency model, which emphasizes stakeholder engagement, risk assessments, and integrates resilience into all aspects of a system’s life cycle.
Can you share some best practices established to enhance NAS resiliency and how Tetra Tech helps clients implement these solutions?
We help our clients implement best practices to enhance NAS resiliency through a comprehensive three-phase conceptual model we developed in partnership with the FAA. The Resiliency Assessment and Analysis Model (RAAM) collects, analyzes, and measures the resiliency of critical air traffic control systems, facilities, airspaces, and the overall NAS. RAAM has been used to identify current infrastructure weaknesses, measure the impact of changes and solutions, prioritize investment decisions, and develop and measure the effectiveness of airspace operational contingency plans. Our in-depth understanding of air traffic control (ATC) systems and real-world operational contexts enables us to evaluate and strengthen NAS resiliency in alignment with FAA mission needs.
What lessons have been learned from incidents like the 2014 Chicago Air Route Traffic Control Center (ARTCC) fire?
The ARTCC fire underscored the urgent need for a more resilient NAS. On September 26, 2014, an act of arson ignited a fire in the facility’s equipment room, resulting in the destruction of the FAA Telecommunications Infrastructure (FTI) system. The incident caused more than 2,000 flight delays, cancellations, or diversions and led to a two-week shutdown of all ATC services across one of the busiest airspaces in the world.
A post-incident assessment revealed multiple areas for improvement—most critically, the need for comprehensive operational contingency plans (OCP) to enable the safe and efficient transfer of airspace operations to adjacent ARTCCs in the event of catastrophic failure. As part of its updated resiliency strategy, the FAA directed all ATC facilities to develop and exercise OCPs with clear safety and efficiency objectives. The resiliency model was then used to evaluate OCP effectiveness and guide further improvements and investments.
The biggest lesson learned: how an organization responds to and recovers from a catastrophic incident is just as important as designing a system that never fails.
How does Tetra Tech support the FAA in integrating resiliency into legacy and emerging technology?
Tetra Tech supports the full lifecycle of FAA ATC infrastructure, from concept development through operations and from system design and installation through operations and contingency planning. Our technical experts have decades of experience in how critical ATC systems should be designed, implemented, operated, and secured. We manage the FAA’s resiliency model and are actively engaged in the development, exercise, and management of ATC contingency planning, specifically real-time management of infrastructure changes necessary to support contingency operations.
In partnership with the FAA, we developed new system design and installation best practices and wrote the NAS Services Survivability order. Our team continues to assess and measure changes to the infrastructure resulting from new technology, emerging cybersecurity threats, and environmental factors and make recommendations to ensure they do not lower the overall resiliency.
What are some other applications of this resiliency model outside of the aviation industry?
The resiliency model we developed for the FAA is highly adaptable and can be applied to other critical infrastructure sectors. In the energy sector, this model can support continuity of power supply during natural disasters or cyberattacks by identifying vulnerabilities and implementing robust contingency plans. Similarly in the healthcare industry, the resiliency process can be used to maintain essential services during pandemics or other emergencies by focusing on critical infrastructure and ensuring effective response and recovery strategies. Transportation systems, including rail and maritime, can also benefit from a structured, data-driven approach that incorporates risk mitigation, contingency preparedness, and long-term recovery planning. We work with clients across industries to adapt this model to their specific operational needs and mission priorities.