March 13, 2026 — Near Warrenton, Virginia A strong chemical odor at the Potomac Terminal Radar Approach Control (TRACON) facility prompted ground stops at major DC-area airports, including Reagan National (DCA), Dulles (IAD), Baltimore-Washington International (BWI), and sometimes Richmond (RIC), causing nationwide US flight disruptions due to chemical odor at DC-area air traffic control facility.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) confirmed the odor stemmed from an overheated circuit board, leading to the evacuation of air traffic controllers and a temporary suspension of operations. Ground stops lasted about one hour before being lifted, according to FAA statements.
Incident Response
Hazmat teams responded to investigate the smell at the Virginia facility, as reported by WBAL-TV. Fire crews later confirmed the circuit board as the source, with no ongoing threat, per WJLA.
U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy posted on X:
Ground stops at DCA, IAD, BWI, RIC due to odor at Potomac TRACON. Investigating. No threat to safety.
A follow-up confirmed operations resumed after board replacement.
Nationwide Ripple Effects
The initial ground stops triggered widespread delays and cancellations persisting into March 14. FlightAware tracked 1,227 cancellations within, into, or out of the U.S., affecting airlines including American, Delta, Southwest, United, and Spirit. Passengers were stranded at hubs like Atlanta (ATL), Houston (IAH), and DCA.
Flightradar24 reported severe disruptions, with Chicago O’Hare (ORD) seeing 49 cancellations and 72% delays, Minneapolis-St. Paul (MSP) at 28 cancellations, and disruption indices reaching 5.0 (severe) across North America. Regional delays hit 25-33%, per NBC Washington.
Official Confirmation and Recovery
Simple Flying detailed how the overheating caused significant hub backups. Fox Business noted ongoing investigation, with Secretary Duffy affirming the board issue (Fox Business).
The New York Times covered delays at Washington and Baltimore airports (NYT). District Today on X updated the lift of ground stops (@districttoday).
Operations normalized without further incidents from the nationwide US flight disruptions due to chemical odor at DC-area air traffic control facility, as covered by major outlets.
