March 13, 2026 — Warrenton, Va. The Federal Aviation Administration issued ground stops at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA), Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD), Baltimore-Washington International Airport (BWI), and Richmond International Airport (RIC) due to a strong chemical odor at the Potomac Terminal Radar Approach Control (TRACON) facility here, which affected air traffic controllers.
The ground stops began around 4:50 p.m. ET, leading to evacuations at the TRACON and a temporary shift to a backup training facility with reduced radar capabilities, as reported by CNBC and USA Today. Operations resumed approximately four hours later, around 9 p.m. ET, after the issue was resolved.
Cause and Resolution
The odor stemmed from an overheated circuit board, which was identified and replaced. Firefighters from Fauquier County and Prince William County confirmed no danger to personnel, allowing controllers to return to the facility, according to The Hill.
“The source of the strong odor was traced to a circuit board that overheated, and it was replaced.”
“Firefighters from Fauquier County and Prince William County confirm there is no danger to air traffic controllers, and they are returning to the Potomac TRACON.”
— FAA Secretary Sean Duffy
Flight Impacts
The disruptions caused widespread delays and some cancellations. At DCA, more than 325 flights (34%) were delayed, with residual delays extending past midnight and up to three hours. BWI saw about 180 flights (25%) delayed, IAD over 200, and RIC had cancellations including a Frontier flight to Atlanta and delays for Delta and Breeze Airways flights, per Simple Flying. Passengers at IAD were held on planes for over an hour in some cases.
Official Response
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced the ground stops on X, listing the affected airports and noting FAA efforts to address the odor.
“@FAANews is working to address the source of a strong odor coming from Potomac TRACON that is impacting operations at the airports.”
He later confirmed resolution:
“The ground stop is over and operations have resumed.”
Early reports spread via X, including from @ShaykhSulaiman and @FireandAviation.
The incident occurred amid ongoing U.S. airport challenges from TSA staffing shortages during a partial Department of Homeland Security shutdown, exacerbating travel disruptions, as noted in Reuters and others.
FAA Issues Ground Stop at Major DC-Area Airports Due to Strong Chemical Odor at Potomac TRACON highlights air traffic control vulnerabilities, with no ongoing threat confirmed.