NTSB, FAA launch probe after Marine One with Donald Trump on board came too close to passenger jet above Washington

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and the Federal Aviation Administration are looking into why airport traffic wasn't halted when Marine One departed the White House Tuesday afternoon with President Trump on board. The New York Times, which first reported the incident, said Marine One came within less than a mile of a passenger plane above the US capital on Tuesday after garbled communications with air traffic controllers.

The NTSB 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."

'President was never in danger'

According to the FAA "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.

‘Momentary loss of separation’

According to the FAA, the airplane that took off Tuesday was climbing above Marine One as the helicopter approached, so the two aircraft were not on a collision course.

The FAA said in a statement that a preliminary investigation showed “there was a momentary loss of separation after which the aircraft continued to move away from one another.”

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

The White House, meanwhile, clarified that President Trump was never in danger.

“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,” White House spokesperson Kush Desai said in a statement.

The Marine Corps defended the actions of their helicopter pilots.

“There were no ‘close calls’ with the routine Marine One movement,” Marine Corps spokesperson Capt. Jacob Sugg said in an email. “Washington National Tower did not delay the helicopter crew, ask them to hold, or otherwise alter their flight profile.”

Step taken after Black Hawk collision

Following the January 2025 collision involving an Army Black Hawk helicopter that led to the death of 67 people, the FAA had decided that all takeoffs and landings at the Washington, D.C., airport would be halted anytime a helicopter passes by on a conflicting route. The airspace near the White House and Reagan is heavily congested with military and commercial aircraft.