A military helicopter carrying US President Donald Trump came within one mile of a collision with a passenger jet above Washington.
According to The New York Times, garbled communications with Ronald Reagan National Airport's tower delayed air traffic controllers from clearing traffic nearby.
Incident Details
The incident happened just after 2.30pm on Wednesday as Trump was flying to Joint Base Andrews directly from the White House on the first leg of a planned trip to LA.
The crew of Marine One, the helicopter carrying the president, made three attempts to warn air traffic control that they were three minutes from taking off, according to audio recordings posted on ATC.com. The comms appear not to have been picked up by the controller and the helicopter advanced into the path of an Envoy passenger jet.
Proximity and Safety Margins
At closest proximity, the two were within 0.8 miles of each other, and just 700ft apart in vertical distance.
The FAA defines safe separation as at least 1.5 miles in lateral distance and 500ft vertical, but this can vary depending on the type of aircraft.
Official Response
White House spokesman Kush Desai said: "Although the president was at no point in harm’s way during yesterday’s momentary loss of separation, the White House continues to work with relevant military, F.A.A. and other security personnel to ensure the president’s continued safety."
FAA spokeswoman Cassandra Nolan said in a statement that 'based on our preliminary safety review' there had been a 'momentary loss of separation. She added that the president was 'never in danger' but that a review continues.
Context and Recent Changes
It comes less than a year after a crash between a military helicopter and a passenger jet in Washington airspace last year.
The FAA says it has drastically tightened safety measures around Washington National airport since the deadly collision between an incoming airliner and an Army Black Hawk helicopter that killed 67 people in January 2025.
