Topline
The Federal Aviation Administration is reviewing why a commercial plane was too close to a helicopter carrying President Donald Trump, the agency confirmed on Wednesday—an incident taking place as the presidential helicopter approached the same airport where an Army helicopter collided with a regional jet over the Potomac River in 2025.
Marine One carrying U.S. President Donald Trump departs from the Ellipse near the White House en route to Joint Base Andrews.
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Key Facts
A preliminary FAA investigation showed there was a “momentary loss of separation” on Tuesday night as Marine One moved away from a commercial jet—referring to FAA rules that require aircraft to remain 1.5 miles apart horizontally and 500 feet apart vertically.
The air traffic controller was in communication with both aircraft at the time of the incident, the FAA said in a statement to multiple outlets, which also noted Trump was “never in danger” and that a review of the incident was ongoing.
The incident was first reported by the Wall Street Journal on Tuesday, which noted commercial flights were not halted at Reagan Washington National Airport after the incident.
Marine One took off from the White House on Tuesday afternoon in a flight to Andrews Air Force Base, around the same time a regional commercial jet bound for Pensacola, Florida, was leaving from Reagan National Airport, Reuters reported.
Key Background
The safety incident involving the presidential helicopter over Washington D.C. comes about a year and a half after an Army Black Hawk helicopter collided with a regional jet operated by American Airlines near the Reagan Airport, resulting in the deaths of 67 people. The crash was the deadliest U.S. air disaster since November 2001. The incident followed several near misses and safety incidents near the Reagan Airport in the preceding years. As a result of the crash and findings from subsequent investigations, the FAA has enacted restrictions on helicopter flight in certain areas around the D.C. Airport. Reuters also noted air traffic control is usually given three minutes’ advance notice before Marine One takes off from near the White House to ensure a halt in traffic around the airport.
Tangent
Last month, the Boeing VIP jet controversially gifted by Qatar made its debut as the new Air Force One. Trump flew on board the plane to attend a NATO summit in Ankara. However, amid a resumption of hostilities between the U.S. and Iran, Trump was forced to fly out of Turkey into RAF Mildenhall, a U.S. Air Force base in Suffolk, England, on board the old Air Force One plane. The president insisted that this was done to allow U.S. service members stationed at the base “a chance to tour the Aircraft,” however, reports suggested that the swap was made following a request from the Secret Service. This raised concerns about the new plane’s safety features and missile defense capabilities compared to the older presidential jets. Despite his initial denials, Trump told reporters last month that the Qatar-gifted plane will undergo another set of upgrades and to get its security capabilities “maxed out.” The president didn’t specify what these new “maxed out” upgrades will cover, and it’s unclear whether the one-month period is adequate to bring the new presidential plane’s security systems up to par with the older jets.
further reading
FAA Investigates Marine One Safety Incident in Washington (Wall Street Journal)
FAA says it is investigating Trump helicopter safety incident in Washington (Reuters)
Trump Says Qatar-Gifted Air Force One Will Undergo Another Upgrade For ‘Maxed Out’ Security (Forbes)
