A ground stop has been enacted at three airports in the Washington, .C., area according to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy.
Passengers at Washington Reagan National Airport were huddled at gates Friday night as they awaited their flights, with several sprawled out on the floor. Delays at Baltimore have reached over two hours. and 90 minutes at Dulles Airport, according to the FAA.Ground stops have also been issued at Richmond International Airport, Charlottesville Albemarle Airport and Manassas Regional Airport in the TRACON’s coverage area, adding to the growing list of delays affecting travelers.Duffy said the FAA is investigating a strong odor coming from Potomac TRACON, which provides air traffic control services to the Baltimore-Washington and the Richmond-Charlottesville areas. The TRACON controls the airspace over Andrews, BWI, Ronald Reagan, Dulles, Richmond and many other airports.
Hazmat and fire crews have responded to the reports of the chemical odor at the Potomac TRACON (Terminal RADAR Approach Control) facility in Virginia. Equipment outages are also reported at the Philadelphia Airport.
The FAA said the smell occurred at the Potomac TRACON (Terminal Radar Approach Control) facility in Warranton, Virginia, which sits roughly 50 miles outside of the nation’s capital. The facility helps manage airspace in the region outside of take-offs and departures.The TRACON facility also serves Richmond International Airport, which is also under a ground stop, according to the FAA.Philadelphia International Airport was also on a ground delay due to “equipment outages.”
It appears the chemical smell impacted air traffic and controllers. Flights are expected to resume later this evening.
Flights are expected to resume around 8 p.m., according to the F.A.A.’s website.Grace Wilkins Maxwell was on her plane at Washington Dulles International Airport to Louisville, Ky., for about an hour before passengers disembarked.Passengers were at the gate, charging their phones and waiting for news, Mrs. Maxwell said. “I’m not convinced anyone is leaving D.C. tonight,” she said.
Hopefully, the investigation into the chemical odor and equipment glitches will yield swift answers so both controllers and passengers can breathe a little easier.
For now, here’s wishing everyone waiting in Baltimore, Washington, Richmond, and beyond a safe and smooth trip home once flights are cleared to depart tonight.
UPDATE:
The source of the strong odor was traced to a circuit board that overheated. Flights have resume again.
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