NEW YORK, Aug 06 (Alliance News): US aviation authorities are investigating an incident in which Marine One, the presidential helicopter carrying Donald Trump, reportedly came too close to a commercial passenger aircraft near Washington, while the White House said the president was never in danger.
According to media reports, the incident occurred on Tuesday when Marine One and a passenger jet departing Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport experienced a reported loss of separation following communication issues with air traffic controllers.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) confirmed it had launched an investigation into the reported loss of separation involving Marine One and a commercial aircraft on August 4.
White House spokesman Kush Desai said Marine One was operated by some of the world’s most experienced pilots and stressed that the president was never at risk during the flight.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said air traffic controllers maintained communication with both the Marine One pilot and the commercial aircraft throughout the incident.
The FAA added that it was continuing to review the circumstances and would implement any necessary corrective measures following the investigation.
According to reports, aviation safety standards generally require aircraft to maintain a minimum horizontal separation of approximately 1.5 miles and a vertical separation of 500 feet under such circumstances.
Media reports said the commercial aircraft involved was an American Airlines regional Embraer E-170, operated by Envoy Air, which had departed Washington National Airport while Marine One was en route to Joint Base Andrews, where President Trump later boarded Air Force One for a trip to California.
The incident comes months after the FAA strengthened flight safety procedures around Washington National Airport following a fatal collision between a passenger aircraft and a US Army helicopter in January 2025 that claimed 67 lives.
