DC area ground stop/TRACON outage?

[drummer4468]

So I’d been sitting here at Dulles for hours thanks to a late aircraft causing a missed connection, and just before I was due to board another flight, a ground stop was issued. From what I gathered from LiveATC, there is/was an equipment/comms outage at the Potomac tracon.

Out of curiosity, anyone have any insight on what happened?

 

[GeorgeC]

I was talking to the eastern sectors a few hours ago, sounded like any other day to me.

 

[Bob Noel]

I was talking to the eastern sectors a few hours ago, sounded like any other day to me.

SNAFU?

;-)

 

[NorthEast Ohio]

According to the FAA, the ground stop was ordered so repairs could be made to communication systems at the Potomac Terminal Radar Approach Control facility

Source: https://patch.com/virginia/arlington-va/flights-grounded-reagan-airport-due-apparent-fire

 

[drummer4468]

Thanks all. Eventually made it outta there around 8pm. It’s was certainly a SNAFU day for me, since I was only there because my flight from JAX was a couple hours late to begin with. Got in at noon thirty, waited for a standby seat at 5:45, and at 5pm the ground stop was issued.

The gate agents’ explanations ranged from “FAA software problems” to “Air traffic control system was down”. Hopped on IAD ground via LiveATC and they were talking about a frequency outage/equipment issues at Potomac. I had no faith in news sources knowing what was going on either.

Then there was another unrelated delay for a Denver flight due to weather, which only confused passengers more. People were getting deplaned and mistakenly re-boarded left and right. Gotta say, the gate agents certainly did well to handle the agitated passengers given the limited info.