Travelers headed into Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental Airport ran into a midafternoon snag Tuesday when the Federal Aviation Administration briefly halted incoming flights, citing a disabled aircraft on a runway. The temporary ground stop kept inbound flights parked at their departure airports, and even a short pause at the busy hub rippled through airlines’ schedules. Aerial footage from local TV crews later showed the stranded aircraft ringed by emergency vehicles while crews worked to clear the tarmac.
FAA advisory and timeline
According to the Federal Aviation Administration, the agency’s airport status page flagged a “disabled aircraft on the runway” at Bush Intercontinental and listed an expected end time of 1:45 p.m. CDT for the hold. The advisory carried an update timestamp shortly before midday as air traffic controllers coordinated the removal of the plane so operations could inch back toward normal.
Ground stop issued midday; local reports
Click2Houston reported that the ground stop went into effect at about 12:32 p.m., with the anticipated end time later adjusted to 2:30 p.m. as the situation evolved. Airlines urged passengers to keep an eye on their flight status while jets remained at their origin airports waiting for the runway to be cleared.
Plane on the runway
SkyEye aerial images shared by ABC13 showed a United Express aircraft operated by SkyWest stopped on the runway, surrounded by emergency vehicles. Passengers were seen deplaning via portable stairs instead of a jet bridge, a clear sign their trip had taken an unscheduled detour. ABC13 also reported that the aircraft was later towed off the tarmac. Officials had not immediately released any details about what caused the problem or whether there were injuries as crews focused on reopening the runway.
Ripple effects and how to check your flight…