WSJ: FAA reviews air traffic safety incident involving Trump's Marine One helicopter

U.S. federal aviation authorities are reviewing an air traffic safety incident involving President Donald Trump's Marine One helicopter near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport on August 4.

People familiar with the matter told The Wall Street Journal that Marine One departed the White House on Tuesday afternoon before air traffic controllers had halted commercial flights at the nearby airport, as required under established safety protocols.

Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) officials believe the incident may have resulted in what is known as a loss of standard separation, an air traffic control protocol designed to keep aircraft a safe distance apart. Federal rules in such cases require aircraft to remain at least 1.5 miles apart horizontally and 500 feet apart vertically.

However, an FAA spokeswoman said Marine One and a commercial aircraft taking off from the airport did not appear to come dangerously close under federal standards and were not on converging flight paths, indicating the incident did not constitute a serious near miss.

"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 spokesman Kush Desai said.

The FAA has significantly restricted the mixing of aeroplane and helicopter traffic around Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport since a fatal midair collision on January 29, 2025.

In that crash, which killed 67 people, a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter collided with an American Airlines regional jet that had been cleared to land at the airport.

By Sabina Mammadli