FAA Probing Why Plane Departed Reagan Airport During Trump's Marine One Flight

ARLINGTON, VA — The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating why a helicopter carrying President Donald Trump and a commercial airliner leaving Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport were allowed to take off at the same time on Tuesday

The incident occurred as Trump was departing the White House aboard Marine One, which was bound for Joint Base Andrews before traveling to California.

The Associated Press reported that the FAA said a commercial aircraft was allowed to depart Reagan National while Marine One was operating nearby, despite safety procedures adopted after the January 2025 midair collision near the airport that killed 67 people.

The airplane was climbing above Marine One as the helicopter approached, so the two aircraft were not on a collision course.

The FAA told Patch in a statement that a preliminary review found "there was 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. As the White House has said, the President was never in danger," the FAA said. "We are continuing to review the incident and will implement any appropriate corrective actions based on our findings."

The agency's statement provides additional detail beyond its initial acknowledgment that it was investigating the event.

According to The Associated Press, Marine One lifted off from the Ellipse near the White House at about 2:33 p.m. Tuesday. About a minute later, Envoy Air Flight 3742, an American Eagle regional jet bound for Pensacola, Florida, departed Reagan National.

FAA separation standards generally require aircraft operating near airports to remain at least 1.5 miles apart horizontally or 500 feet vertically. Officials have said the aircraft were not on converging flight paths and that the event was not considered a dangerous close call.

New Rules Followed 2025 Fatal Crash

The incident comes roughly 18 months after the January 2025 midair collision between an American Airlines regional jet and a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter near Reagan National that killed everyone aboard both aircraft.

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Following that crash, the FAA imposed permanent restrictions on helicopter operations around the airport and established procedures requiring commercial traffic to be paused during Marine One operations in the area. The apparent failure to halt commercial traffic during Tuesday's presidential flight is a central focus of the FAA's investigation, according to the AP.

The White House has said Trump was never in danger during the incident, while the Marine Corps defended the actions of the helicopter crew.

Marine Corps spokesman Capt. Jacob Sugg told the AP there were no "close calls" during the routine Marine One flight and that air traffic controllers approved the helicopter's requested route while providing appropriate traffic information.

The National Transportation Safety Board said it is gathering information and has not yet decided whether it will open its own investigation into the incident, according to the AP.

The Associated Press contributed to the reporting of this story.