'Loss of separation': Trump's Marine One flies too close to passenger jet, US investigates incident

A routine presidential flight over Washington has come under scrutiny after Marine One, the helicopter carrying US President Donald Trump, was reportedly involved in a "loss of separation" event with a commercial passenger aircraft. Federal authorities are now investigating the incident, though the White House has maintained that Trump was never in danger.

Federal probe underway

The incident took place on Tuesday when Marine One left the White House for Andrews Air Force Base. Around the same time, an American Airlines regional flight departed Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. According to reports, the two aircraft came within less than a mile of each other, triggering what aviation officials describe as a "loss of separation" event.

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) confirmed it has opened an investigation into the occurrence.

The agency said it is "investigating a reported loss of separation event between Marine One and a commercial aircraft departing DCA (Washington National Airport) that occurred on August 4".

According to a New York Times report, the situation followed garbled communication with air traffic controllers.

White House rules out any danger

Responding to concerns, the White House stressed that the president's safety was never compromised.

White House spokesperson Kush Desai said, "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."

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said, "The air traffic controller was in contact with both the commercial pilot and Marine One pilot during the loss of separation."

"The President was never in danger. We are continuing to review the incident and will implement any appropriate corrective actions based on our findings," it added.

Marine Corps rejects near-miss claims

According to the Wall Street Journal, aviation safety guidelines call for aircraft to remain at least 1.5 miles apart horizontally and 500 feet vertically. The report said the commercial aircraft involved was an American Airlines Embraer E-170 operated by Envoy Air, while Trump later boarded Air Force One at Andrews Air Force Base for his trip to California.

The US Marine Corps, however, disputed reports describing the event as a near miss.

“There were no ‘close calls’ with the routine Marine One movement,” Marine Corps spokesperson Captian Jacob Sugg said.

“Washington National Tower did not delay the helicopter crew, ask them to hold, or otherwise alter their flight profile.”

The development comes months after the FAA tightened safety measures around Washington National Airport following the deadly January 2025 mid-air collision involving an Army Black Hawk helicopter and a passenger aircraft. Reports have also highlighted past communication issues between military and civilian air traffic controllers at the airport.