FAA probes Reagan airport take-off as Trump helicopter approached

Washington,UPDATED: Aug 6, 2026 12:34 IST

US aviation authorities are investigating why a commercial plane was allowed to take off as President Donald Trump's helicopter approached Ronald Reagan Washington Airport on Tuesday, in what appeared to be a breach of safety procedures introduced after last year's midair collision near the airport.

The Federal Aviation Administration and the Transportation Safety Board said they were examining the incident, which took place as Marine One left the White House for Andrews Air Force Base with Trump aboard for the first leg of a West Coast trip. The White House said the president was never in danger.

After 67 people were killed on January 29, 2025, when an airliner collided with an Army Black Hawk helicopter, the FAA decided that all take-offs and landings at the Washington, DC, airport would be halted whenever a helicopter passed by on a conflicting route. The airspace near the White House and Reagan is heavily congested with military and commercial aircraft.

The plane that took off on Tuesday was climbing above Marine One as the helicopter approached, so the two aircraft were not on a collision course. The FAA said a preliminary investigation showed "there was a momentary loss of separation after which the aircraft continued to move away from one another". It added, "The air traffic controller was in contact with both the commercial pilot and Marine One pilot during the loss of separation."

White House spokesperson Kush Desai said, "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." The Marine Corps also defended its pilots. Marine Corps spokesperson Capt. Jacob Sugg said in an email, "There were no 'close calls' with the routine Marine One movement. Washington Tower did not delay the helicopter crew, ask them to hold, or otherwise alter their flight profile."

Audio from air traffic control appeared to show confusion over Marine One's plan. The Marine One pilot first told the tower, "Tower, just want to make sure you copy. Marine One, three minutes to lift." The controller did not acknowledge that transmission and, after the pilot tried again, said the message was broken and unreadable. When the pilot later said the helicopter was proceeding as briefed, the controller asked, "Uh, Marine One, you said, uh, you're proceeding as briefed?" before adding, "OK, no three minutes, roger, proceed as briefed." After the controller warned the helicopter about the plane taking off, the Marine One pilot said he saw the traffic and declared, "We'll be doing a momentary delay." The Wall Street Journal first reported the incident.

Communication between the military and civilian air traffic controllers at Reagan has come under scrutiny before. At a hearing last spring on last year's midair collision, it emerged that a hotline linking the Pentagon to the Reagan tower had not been working for more than three years, and the FAA had not realised it. After that crash investigation began, the FAA introduced steps to ensure that helicopters and planes would no longer share the same airspace around the airport. The rules also require controllers to use radar, rather than rely on pilots' sight, to maintain separation, and require all military aircraft to broadcast their locations.

On Wednesday, the main group of family members of the victims of last year's crash questioned on X why the government had not done more to prevent collisions in the crowded airspace around Reagan. The families have been urging Congress to reach a compromise and pass the package of aviation safety reforms recommended by the NTSB after the collision. The latest incident has again focused attention on safety procedures and communication around Reagan airport.

With PTI Inputs

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