US President Donald Trump was at the centre of a reported mid-air safety scare on Tuesday after Marine One, the military helicopter carrying him, allegedly flew within less than a mile of a commercial passenger jet over Washington.
The helicopter had departed the White House for Andrews Air Force Base around the same time an American Airlines regional flight took off from Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, prompting a federal investigation into what officials described as a “loss of separation” event.
The White House, however, insisted the president was never in danger.
According to a New York Times report, the close approach occurred after garbled communication with air traffic controllers.
‘Loss of separation’ event investigated
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) confirmed it has launched an investigation into the reported “loss of separation” between Marine One and the commercial aircraft departing Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.
The agency said it is “investigating a reported loss of separation event between Marine One and a commercial aircraft departing DCA (Washington National Airport) that occurred on August 4.”
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US President was not in ‘harm’s way’
White House spokesperson Kush Desai defended the presidential helicopter’s operation, saying, “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.”
US aviation regulator the FAA said that “the air traffic controller was in contact with both the commercial pilot and Marine One pilot during the loss of separation.”
“The President was never in danger. We are continuing to review the incident and will implement any appropriate corrective actions based on our findings,” it added.
According to the Wall Street Journal, safety measures in such circumstances require a separation of at least 1.5 miles horizontally and 500 feet vertically.
The outlet, stating that the incident occurred around 2:30 pm (1830 GMT), reported that an American Airlines Embraer E-170 operated by its subsidiary Envoy Air took off at that time.
The helicopter was headed to Andrews Air Force Base, where Trump boarded his presidential aircraft to travel to California.
American Airlines, and the US Marine Corps which operates Marine One, did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The FAA has drastically tightened safety measures around Washington National airport since the deadly collision between an incoming airliner and an Army Black Hawk helicopter that killed 67 people in January 2025.
US Marine corps defended helicopter pilots
The US Marine Corps defended the actions of its helicopter pilots, rejecting reports of a near-miss involving Marine One, according to the Associated Press.
“There were no ‘close calls’ with the routine Marine One movement,” Marine Corps spokesperson Captian Jacob Sugg said.
“Washington National Tower did not delay the helicopter crew, ask them to hold, or otherwise alter their flight profile.”
Communication problems between the military and civilian air traffic controllers at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport have surfaced before, the report added.
During hearings last spring into the fatal midair collision near the airport, it emerged that a hotline linking the Pentagon and the Reagan control tower had been out of service for more than three years, without the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) realising it.
