Air traffic at Washington airports temporarily halted due to chemical odor at control center
According to the Federal Aviation Administration, the odor was affecting some air traffic controllers working at the facility.
The control tower at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.
Air operations at several airports in the Washington area were temporarily suspended Friday afternoon after federal authorities detected a strong chemical odor at an air traffic control facility that oversees the region's airspace.
The Federal Aviation Administration reported that it issued a ground stop impacting the Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, Washington Dulles International Airport and Baltimore-Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport. According to the agency, the action was taken due to the presence of a strong chemical odor inside the Potomac Radar Approach Control Center(TRACON), a facility from which aircraft approaches and departures are coordinated in that area.
According to the Federal Aviation Administration, the odor was affecting some air traffic controllers working at the facility.
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Equipment shutdown and temporary suspension.
The federal agency said the order to stop air traffic was issued late Friday afternoon. The incident was also associated with an equipment outage within the facility.
Officials said the ground stop was initially planned until at least 7 p.m. while the situation was assessed.
Impact on other airports in the region
Among the airports affected were Richmond International Airport and Philadelphia International Airport, in addition to other facilities along the East Coast.
Because these terminals share the same control center in Washington DC, the ground stops generated ripple effects that spread to other parts of the nation's air system.
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