The Federal Aviation Administration opened an air safety probe on Tuesday after a plane took off from Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport while President Trump’s helicopter was approaching the hub, seemingly defying safety procedures established from last year’s deadly midair crash by the airport.
The FAA said air traffic controllers let commercial flights keep departing from Reagan National even as Marine One was preparing to leave the White House en route to Andrews Air Force Base.
Federal officials previously ordered that all airport activity would stop after 67 people were killed when an Army Black Hawk helicopter collided with an American Airlines jet over the Potomac River in January 2025.
The FAA did acknowledge that neither aircraft was in danger of crashing into one another during Tuesday’s mishap.
“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 said that “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 Wall Street Journal first reported the incident.
The FAA updated its rules to forbid congested air traffic around the airport following last year’s catastrophe.
Air traffic controllers are also not allowed to rely on visual separation to determine if a flight path is safe, and all military aircraft are required to share their location as they pass by the airport.
The National Transportation Safety Board said Wednesday that it’s still gathering information about the Marine One incident and has not decided whether to launch an investigation.
• This story is based in part on wire service reports.
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