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Ground Stops Lifted at DC-Area Airports After Odor at FAA Control Center

Investigators traced the smell to an overheated circuit board at the Potomac TRACON, which was replaced to restore operations.

The control tower is seen from inside a terminal during a ground stop at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in Arlington, Virginia, on March 13, 2026.

Overview

  • FAA halted traffic at Reagan National, Dulles, BWI and Richmond on Friday after a strong chemical odor at the Potomac TRACON affected some air traffic controllers.
  • Ground stops were lifted around 8 p.m. ET, with airports cautioning of significant residual delays as carriers worked through backlogs.
  • Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said firefighters confirmed no danger to personnel and controllers returned to duty once the faulty component was replaced.
  • HazMat teams from Fauquier County and Prince William County responded and evaluated more than 30 FAA employees, with no hospitalizations reported.
  • Delays were extensive across the region, with FlightAware data showing roughly 325 delays at Reagan National and heavy knock-on delays at Dulles and BWI.