The National Transportation Safety Board stated that the crew of President Donald Trump's helicopter, Marine One, did not reach air traffic controllers before a near-miss incident on August 4. Communication issues hampered the required three-minute departure notice.
The incident highlights potential communication breakdowns in critical air traffic control operations involving the President's helicopter, raising concerns about safety protocols at a busy airport.
The crew of President Donald Trump's helicopter, Marine One, failed to reach air traffic controllers before a near-miss incident on August 4 at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, according to the National Transportation Safety Board. Communication issues hampered the crew's ability to provide the required three-minute departure notice, and an alternative communication method also proved unsuccessful.
The incident occurred when the helicopter and a commercial airliner were cleared for takeoff nearly simultaneously, a situation that appeared to violate safety procedures. These procedures were implemented after a midair collision in January 2025 that killed 67 people, requiring airport operations to halt if a helicopter is on a conflicting route. The FAA acknowledged that the helicopter and airliner briefly came too close before maneuvering away from each other, with Marine One pausing its takeoff and the airliner climbing above it.
Air traffic controllers and Marine One pilots had discussed communication failures a week before the incident. The airspace around the White House and Reagan National Airport is heavily congested, and a hotline between the Pentagon and Reagan's tower had been non-functional for over three years.