Investigations are underway into why a passenger jet was allowed to take off as US President Donald Trump's helicopter approached.
Marine Forces One was approaching Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport on the afternoon of Tuesday, August 4 when the incident occurred - an apparent violation of safety procedures put in place after last year's mid-air collision near the busy airport.
Investigations launched
Both the National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration said on Wednesday they were investigating what happened when the jet took off just as the helicopter left the White House with the president aboard.
The FAA decided after 67 people died on January 29, 2025, when an airliner collided with an Army Black Hawk helicopter that all take-offs and landings at the Washington, DC 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.
No collision course
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.
White House response
The White House emphasised that 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. Poor communication between the military and the civilian air traffic controllers at Reagan has been an issue in the past.
