WASHINGTON - A ground stop was issued for all airports in the D.C. area due to an issue at a main air traffic control facility.
The Federal Aviation Administration issued the alerts around 6:30 p.m. Friday evening. The stops for Dulles and BWI have since been lifted, but remain in place for DCA.
What we know:
The FAA has said that the ground stops were due to an "environmental issue" at Potomac Consolidated TRACON (PCT).
According to the FAA, the Potomac Consolidated Terminal RADAR Approach Control (TRACON) PCT provides air traffic control service to the Baltimore-Washington and the Richmond-Charlottesville areas.
They control the airspace over Joint Base Andrews, BWI, Reagan, Dulles, Richmond and many other area airports.
The facility is located in Warrenton, Virginia.
What we don't know:
It's not yet clear what exactly caused the issue at PTC.
The FAA issued a statement to FOX 5 following the ground stops, saying, "The FAA has temporarily stopped traffic at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA), Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD), Baltimore-Washington International Airport (BWI), Charlottesville–Albemarle Airport (CHO), and Richmond International Airport (RIC) because of a strong smell at the Potomac TRACON. Monitor fly.faa.gov for real-time updates."
Dig deeper:
This is the second time this month that an issue at PTC has caused ground stops for D.C.
On March 14, flights were stopped after a "strong chemical smell" was reported at the control tower.
READ MORE: Ground stop lifted, delays continue at DC-area airports after 'equipment outage'
"The FAA has temporarily stopped traffic at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA), Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD) and Baltimore-Washington International Airport (BWI) because of a strong chemical smell at the Potomac TRACON that is impacting some air traffic controllers. Monitor fly.faa.gov for real-time updates," a statement released that day read.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy later posted on X, saying the smell was caused by an overheated circuit board.
"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. The source of the strong odor was traced to a circuit board that overheated, and it was replaced," he wrote.
This is a developing story. Check back with FOX 5 for updates.