Planes grounded at D.C.-area airports after odor in control tower

Aground stop was issued at three major Washington, D.C.-area airports after an unknown odor was detected at a Virginia air traffic control tower. The Federal Aviation Administration reported the ground stops at Dulles International, Ronald Reagan Washington National, and Baltimore-Washington International Airports on March 27. Flights were either holding or diverting, and no departures occurred since 6:40 p.m. EDT.

Recent delays were linked to previous odor issues, with D.C.-area airports reopening after a strong smell from an overheated circuit board on March 13. Flight delays affected 25% of flights at Baltimore and National airports and 11% at Dulles.