Three Washington, D.C.-area airports have reopened after a shutdown prompted by an overheated circuit board that created a troublesome "strong odor," Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced late on March 13.
"The ground stop is over and operations have resumed," Duffy said in a statement about four hours after announcing the shutdown. "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."
TRACON stands for Terminal Radar Approach Control, aU.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) facilitywhere controllers manage aircraft within a 30 to 50-mile radius of an airport. The Potomac TRACON facility is in Northern Virginia.
The brief ground stop impacted the three major airports surrounding the nation's capital: Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, Washington Dulles International Airport and Baltimore-Washington International Airport. Richmond International Airport was also shut down.
Duffy announced the closures around 5:20 p.m. local time in a statement suggesting the strange smell put a halt to flights.
The Federal Aviation Administration "is working to address the source of a strong odor coming from Potomac TRACON that is impacting operations at the three airports," said Duffy, without addressing why the Richmond airport was also included.
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Travelers face flight delays amid FAA staff shortages, government shutdown
Airports involved in ground stops warned travelers to "expect residual delays" as a result.
"Airlines are once again resuming regular operations and preparing departures. Expect residual delays this evening," Baltimore-Washington airport officials said in a statement. "We appreciate the patience of passengers impacted by the delays."
Officials at Reagan told flyers to expect "significant delays" for the rest of Friday evening.
The series of shutdowns around Washington come as there are increased fears of potential terrorist attacks amid the war on Iran and amid a partial shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security.
On March 12, a man who lost family in Lebanon to bombings amid the war attempted to carry out a massive attack on a synagogue in Michigan. Temple security fatally shot the man after he rammed his car into the building.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:DC-area airports reopen after 'strong odor' caused shutdown