Trump’s Helicopter Was Briefly Too Close To Commercial Jet On Tuesday, FAA Says

Aug 06, 2026 02:46 AM - 1 hour ago 1

Topline

The Federal Aviation Administration is reviewing why a commercialized level was excessively adjacent to a chopper carrying President Donald Trump, the agency confirmed connected Wednesday—an incident taking spot arsenic the statesmanlike chopper approached the aforesaid airdrome wherever an Army chopper collided pinch a location pitchy complete the Potomac River successful 2025.

Marine One carrying U.S. President Donald Trump departs from the Ellipse adjacent the White House en way to Joint Base Andrews.

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Key Facts

A preliminary FAA investigation showed location was a “momentary nonaccomplishment of separation” connected Tuesday nighttime arsenic Marine One moved distant from a commercialized jet—referring to FAA rules that require craft to stay 1.5 miles isolated horizontally and 500 feet isolated vertically.

The aerial postulation controller was successful connection pinch some craft astatine the clip of the incident, the FAA said successful a connection to multiple outlets, which besides noted Trump was “never successful danger” and that a reappraisal of the incident was ongoing.

The incident was first reported by the Wall Street Journal connected Tuesday, which noted commercialized flights were not halted astatine Reagan Washington National Airport aft the incident.

Marine One took disconnected from the White House connected Tuesday day successful a formation to Andrews Air Force Base, astir the aforesaid clip a location commercialized pitchy bound for Pensacola, Florida, was leaving from Reagan National Airport, Reuters reported.

Key Background

The information incident involving the statesmanlike chopper complete Washington D.C. comes astir a twelvemonth and a half aft an Army Black Hawk chopper collided pinch a location pitchy operated by American Airlines adjacent the Reagan Airport, resulting successful the deaths of 67 people. The clang was the deadliest U.S. aerial disaster since November 2001. The incident followed respective adjacent misses and information incidents adjacent the Reagan Airport successful the preceding years. As a consequence of the clang and findings from consequent investigations, the FAA has enacted restrictions connected chopper formation successful definite areas astir the D.C. Airport. Reuters besides noted aerial postulation power is usually fixed 3 minutes’ beforehand announcement earlier Marine One takes disconnected from adjacent the White House to guarantee a halt successful postulation astir the airport.

Tangent

Last month, the Boeing VIP pitchy controversially talented by Qatar made its debut arsenic the caller Air Force One. Trump flew connected committee the level to be a NATO acme successful Ankara. However, amid a resumption of hostilities betwixt the U.S. and Iran, Trump was forced to alert retired of Turkey into RAF Mildenhall, a U.S. Air Force guidelines successful Suffolk, England, connected committee the aged Air Force One plane. The president insisted that this was done to let U.S. work members stationed astatine the guidelines “a chance to circuit the Aircraft,” however, reports suggested that the swap was made pursuing a petition from the Secret Service. This raised concerns astir the caller plane's information features and rocket defense capabilities compared to the older statesmanlike jets. Despite his first denials, Trump told reporters past period that the Qatar-gifted level will acquisition different group of upgrades and to get its information capabilities “maxed out.” The president didn’t specify what these caller “maxed out” upgrades will cover, and it's unclear whether the one-month play is capable to bring the caller statesmanlike plane’s information systems up to par pinch the older jets.