WSJ: Trump’s Marine One close call sets US on course to rethink flight rules

US aviation authorities plan to revise air traffic rules following a recent incident involving President Donald Trump’s Marine One helicopter near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reports.

According to the newspaper, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) plans to relocate air traffic control communication antennas, strengthen radio signals, provide additional training for air traffic controllers and change procedures for coordinating with presidential helicopter crews.

The authorities also plan to require the airspace to be cleared of civilian aircraft before Marine One takes off.

The review was prompted by an August 4 incident in which the helicopter carrying Trump came within approximately 1.7 kilometres horizontally and 91 meters vertically of an American Airlines regional aircraft.

Federal regulations require a minimum separation of 2.4 kilometres horizontally and 152 meters vertically. According to a preliminary FAA review, air traffic controllers did not receive a clear warning about Marine One’s departure and failed to notify the passenger aircraft’s crew that the presidential helicopter was nearby.

The US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) continues to investigate the incident.

By Jeyhun Aghazada