The Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board are investigating a safety incident after President Donald Trump's Marine One helicopter briefly flew too close to a commercial passenger jet in Washington DC.
Trump boarded Marine One on the White House grounds around 2.33pm on Tuesday to travel to Joint Base Andrews, where he boarded Air Force One for a flight to Los Angeles. As the helicopter departed, commercial flights were taking off nearby from Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.
Flight tracking data revealed that an American Airlines flight bound for Pensacola, Florida, departed Reagan National Airport around the same time Marine One took off. Federal regulations mandate that aircraft around airports remain separated by at least 1.5 miles horizontally and 500 feet vertically.
The NTSB launched its investigation into the loss of separation, while the FAA reported Wednesday that Marine One briefly flew too close to the jet. The FAA previously stated that the encounter "didn't appear to be a dangerous close call and the aircraft weren't apparently converging."
In a statement, the agency noted that preliminary safety reviews confirmed a temporary issue. "Based on our preliminary safety review, there was momentary loss of separation after which the aircraft continued to move away from one another," the FAA said.
The FAA added that air traffic controllers remained in communication with both aircraft during the event. "The air traffic controller was in contact with both the commercial pilot and Marine One pilot during the loss of separation," the FAA stated. "As the White House has said, the President was never in danger. We are continuing to review the incident and will implement any appropriate corrective actions based on our findings."
Flight Protocols and Airport Traffic
Sources told the Wall Street Journal that air traffic controllers failed to halt flights at Reagan National Airport, marking a departure from traditional procedures. People familiar with standard protocol explained that controllers typically expect Marine One to provide at least a three-minute warning before takeoff to clear surrounding airspace.
A source told Reuters that another regional flight located three miles from Reagan National Airport was rerouted out of caution during the incident. That aircraft, a second American Airlines flight operated as Republic E175, had departed from Raleigh-Durham International Airport around the same time and looped around before landing at 2.52pm.
Recent Helicopter Safety Regulations
The incident comes after the FAA imposed stricter rules on helicopter operations around Reagan National Airport following a January 2025 mid-air collision between an American Airlines regional jet and an Army Black Hawk helicopter. That crash killed 67 people, prompting flight restrictions and leading the Transportation Department to close the route traveled by the Black Hawk.
Official responses emphasized that flight crews followed instructions and maintained safety throughout the trip. Marine One flew past the Washington Monument before landing safely at Joint Base Andrews, allowing Trump to proceed to Los Angeles.
Marine Corps spokesperson Captain Jacob Sugg told the Wall Street Journal that there were no "close calls" on Tuesday and that controllers directed Marine One to Joint Base Andrews. White House spokesman Kush Desai added: "Marine One flights are piloted by some of the best aviators in the world, and at no point was the President in harm's way."
