All three major D.C.-area airports were under a ground stop Friday evening due to a “strong smell” at a Federal Aviation Administration facility in Virginia.
The ground stop order was lifted around 8:30 p.m.
A spokesman with the FAA confirmed with WTOP that air traffic was temporarily stopped after a strong smell was reported at the Potomac Consolidated Terminal RADAR Approach Control facility in Warrenton, Virginia.
Reagan National Airport, Dulles International Airport and Baltimore Washington International Airport were all impacted by the ground stop, as well as Charlottesville-Albemarle and Richmond International airports. Delays remain at Reagan National Airport.
Tom Roussey with WTOP news partner 7News told WTOP’s Nick Iannelli from inside Reagan National Airport on Friday night that the departures board showed mostly delays and cancelations.
“They’ve had some other sort of evacuation that led to all this,” Roussey said of the TRACON facility.
“They schedule these flights so close together (nowadays), that one thing could just throw everything off. Expect this to potentially affect flights even into tomorrow,”
A similar incident occurred at the Potomac TRACON facility two weeks ago when a circuit board overheated.
This is a developing story. Stay with WTOP for the latest.
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