FAA says Trump’s Marine One helicopter was briefly too close to passenger jet

WASHINGTON - The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said a military helicopter carrying President Donald Trump on Aug 4 was briefly too close to a passenger jet departing Reagan Washington National Airport but said the US president was not in danger.

The incident raises serious questions about why the passenger plane was allowed to depart while Marine One was nearby, a time when commercial traffic is typically halted.

Following a January 2025 crash between a military helicopter and a commercial jet that killed 67 people, the FAA barred mixed helicopter and jet traffic around the airport.

“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 on Aug 5.

Trump’s Marine One helicopter took off from the White House on the afternoon of Aug 4, but air-traffic controllers had not halted commercial flights at Reagan National as required under a policy set in 2025 following the collision, two sources told Reuters.

FAA rules require aircraft to remain separated by at least 1.5 miles (2,400) horizontally and 500 feet (150m) vertically around airports.

“The air traffic controller was in contact with both the commercial pilot and Marine One pilot during the loss of separation,” the FAA said.

Trump’s helicopter lifted off from the Ellipse near the White House around 2.33pm EDT (2.33am on Aug 5 in Singapore), on his way to Joint Base Andrews for a trip to Los Angeles, according to a pool report.

A source told Reuters that Envoy Air 3742 – a regional E170 jet bound for Pensacola, Florida – departed at 2.34pm and was involved in the incident with Marine One. Envoy is a wholly owned subsidiary of American Airlines, which did not immediately comment.

Both Trump’s helicopter and the jet landed without incident.

Two sources told Reuters the FAA is planning to convene a safety review team into the incident. Another regional flight – Republic 4700 – was 5km from Reagan during the incident and was rerouted out of caution, the other source said. The Republic Embraer 175 operating on behalf of American had departed from Raleigh-Durham and looped around the airport before landing at 2.52pm, according to FlightAware.

The chair of the National Transportation Safety Board, Jennifer Homendy, told Reuters on Aug 5 the agency is considering opening an investigation.

“We’re in the process of collecting additional information. Our air traffic control specialists are reviewing the information they already have and information they’re going to collect to determine whether we investigate,” Homendy said.

The FAA imposed permanent restrictions on helicopter operations around Washington’s Reagan Airport after the January 2025 mid-air collision between an American Airlines regional jet and an Army helicopter. In addition to traffic restrictions, the FAA in March also barred the use of visual separation to handle helicopter traffic near major airports.

FAA air traffic control is typically given at least three minutes’ notice before Marine One departs to halt traffic from Reagan. REUTERS