According to a statement from the Federal Aviation Administration, its "Los Angeles Center air traffic control facility experienced technical issues and stopped accepting additional flights into the airspace managed by the facility for about an hour.
"Some flights were diverted and the agency issued a nationwide ground stop for flights heading into the airspace managed by the center. The agency is gradually restoring the system," the FAA said.
Spokeswoman Laura Brown stressed that radar is not down and that authorities hope to resolve the computer glitch soon.
The agency warned of the potential for gridlock at some area airports, citing significant volume already en route.
Departure delays of up to two hours were being reported at LAX, one hour at Salt Lake City International Airport and up to an hour and a half at McCarran International Airport in Las Vegas.
Officials said ground stops were also in effect at Bob Hope Airport in Burbank, Long Beach Airport and John Wayne Airport, all in California.
According to LAX, the airport is the sixth busiest in the world, and the third busiest in the United States.
Source: cnn.com By Dana Ford