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Air traffic controllers warned of communication issues one week before an air traffic safety incident involving Marine One while Trump was onboard earlier this month.

Earlier this month, it was reported that the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) was investigating an air traffic safety incident involving Marine One whilePresident Trumpwas on board.

The incident happened on August 4th while President Trump was traveling to Joint Base Andrews for a trip to Southern California.

“The president’s Marine One helicopter took off from the White House Tuesday afternoon, but air-traffic controllers hadn’t halted commercial flights at nearby Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport as required under safety protocols, people familiar with the matter said,” The Wall Street Journalreported.

According toReuters, a commercial flight departed Reagan Airport one minute after Marine One lifted off from the Ellipse.

Video of the safety incident shows Marine One over East Potomac Park near a commercial flight.

WATCH:

NEW: STATter911 video showing a jet departing Runway 1 at DCA as the helicopter with President Trump was over East Potomac Park heading toward Joint Base Andrews. As@WSJreports, the normal procedure of stopping commercial flights at Reagan National did not occur this afternoon…https://t.co/l3qGgDvXfa pic.twitter.com/lj4K19818w
—Dave Statter (@STATter911)August 5, 2026

The APreported:

Air traffic controllers in Washington and the pilots of President Donald Trump’s helicopter met to discuss communication issues one week before a jet and the chopper were allowed to take off at the same time, the National Transportation Safety Board said Thursday.
Both sides met to discuss the failures in communications and agreed to an alternative for such occasions — but that method was also unsuccessful on the day of the Aug. 4 incident at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, the National Transportation Safety Board’s preliminary report shows.
Having both in the air at the same time seemed to violate safety procedures put in place after last year’s midair collision near the busy airport that killed 67 people, but officials stressed the president was never in danger. The Pentagon also has a longstanding agreement with the FAA to provide controllers with a three-minute warning before the president’s helicopter takes off that predates last year’s crash.

The postAir Traffic Controllers Warned of Communication Issues One Week Before Air Traffic Safety Incident Involving Marine One While Trump Was Onboardappeared first onThe Gateway Pundit.

",{"_278":236,"_279":316,"_280":317},"67e1548c-21f8-4bd2-aa23-212e40946d74",{"_27":316,"_40":318,"_283":319,"_42":320,"_248":321,"_286":-5,"_29":287,"_288":322,"_290":323,"_241":324,"_80":-5,"_82":120,"_235":325,"_278":236,"_313":338},"Marine One's warning calls before mishap went unheard by Reagan air traffic controllers, NTSB says","Air traffic controllers and Marine One pilots held discussions about communication issues a week before a jet took off shortly after President Trump's helicopter departed. Investigators found that standard warning calls were not received by controllers, and an alternative plan for relaying these calls was also unsuccessful. This incident occurred despite safety procedures implemented after a previous mid-air collision and highlighted longstanding communication problems between military and FAA personnel.","Updated on: August 27, 2026 / 9:15 PM EDT / CBS/AP","https://assets3.cbsnewsstatic.com/hub/i/r/2026/08/27/51b0c85d-94e2-45bc-86b1-2df31523c53b/thumbnail/1200x630/61b0cea3c853c74ced77f144dc33a346/gettyimages-2292339751.jpg","2026-08-27T22:44:00","https://www.cbsnews.com/news/marine-one-warning-calls-unheard-reagan-air-traffic-controllers-mishap-ntsb-trump/","tech",{"_27":326,"_294":327,"_137":296,"_80":328,"_308":335,"_309":336,"_311":337},"ad91b5c685670d0340539e616a6da7abb529c3f2e35c66a990e391754e8ded1f","be24eaa5e263039d6ca585f758ee607e6e4cda89cd1c65c3ccc06da3156163ec96e6fa3518f23f2b6c0618db3935a10c0a810cd58c2e7eed698a7534b9fe86d2",[329,330,331,333,334],[241,318],[44,321],[301,332,39,303],"30023:6759f7a309cd07f7abfe0c57ab4e0ff30ffcd68d9c744d403f22e2428df23738:67e1548c-21f8-4bd2-aa23-212e40946d74",[305,39],[140,335,39],"6759f7a309cd07f7abfe0c57ab4e0ff30ffcd68d9c744d403f22e2428df23738","Marine One's warning calls before mishap went unheard by Reagan air traffic controllers, NTSB says\nUpdated on: August 27, 2026 / 9:15 PM EDT / CBS/AP\n\n\nnostr:naddr1qvzqqqr4gupzqe6e773snng8774lurzh4d8qluc0lntgm8r5f4qr7ghzg2xlydecqqjrvdm9xy6ngwrr95erze3c956xyepj94skzv3n95erzvn9xscrjdpkvsmngmeyn28 ",1787899119,"Air traffic controllers in Washington and the pilots of President Trump's helicopter met to discuss communication issues one week before a jet was allowed to take off just as Marine One left the White House, federal investigators said Thursday.\nControllers reported not receiving the standard three-minute warning call ahead of Marine One flights and both sides agreed to an alternative in those instances — but that plan to relay the radio call through someone else was also unsuccessful near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, the National Transportation Safety Board's preliminary report shows.\nHaving both the jet and helicopter in the air at the same time seemed to violate safety procedures put in place after last year's midair collision near the busy airport that killed 67 people, but officials stressed that the president was never in danger. The Pentagon also has a longstanding agreement with the Federal Aviation Administration to provide controllers with a three-minute warning before the president's helicopter takes off that predates last year's crash.\nThe NTSB said recordings from the tower showed that the controllers never heard the calls from Marine One's pilot that day warning that the helicopter was getting ready to take off, but separate recordings posted by ATC.com show the helicopter did make those calls.\nThe helicopter pilots tried to relay their three-minute call through the helicopter facility at Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling, but that was also unsuccessful, the NTSB report found.\nCBS News previously reported that the Marine One pilot tried to contact the tower at Reagan three times to alert air traffic controllers that the presidential helicopter was minutes away from liftoff. The tower at one point acknowledged the communication but asked for the pilot to repeat the message because it \"was broken and unreadable.\"\nThe Federal Aviation Administration decided after an airliner collided with an Army Black Hawk helicopter on Jan. 29, 2025, that all takeoffs and landings at the airport would be halted anytime a helicopter passes by on a conflicting route. The airspace near the White House and Reagan is heavily congested with military and commercial aircraft.\n\"Marine One flights are piloted by the finest aviators in the world, and the White House maintains the utmost confidence in these patriots and other security officials who are responsible for ensuring the President's safety,\" White House spokesman Kush Desai told CBS News in a statement in response to the NTSB's preliminary report. \"Although the President was at no point in harm's way during the August 4th momentary loss of separation, the White House continues to work with relevant military, FAA, and other security personnel to ensure the President's continued safety.\"\nThe FAA has acknowledged that the helicopter and airliner briefly got too close before the two aircraft started to move away from each other. The airplane quickly climbed above the helicopter after Marine One's pilots saw the plane and paused until it safely left the area.\nSince mid-July, Mr. Trump's helicopter has been lifting off from the Ellipse, the park south of the White House, while construction has been going on for a new helipad behind the White House.\nAfter the incident earlier this month, FAA technicians discovered that the reason Marine One was having trouble talking to the tower at times was because the helicopter shifted to a new location during the construction, the NTSB report stated. So the FAA moved the radio receiver out of a neighborhood near the airport and to the top of the tower at Reagan to fix the problem.\nIn a statement, the FAA said Thursday it \"took immediate action following the Aug. 4 incident involving Marine One, including relocating an antenna to improve communications between DCA air traffic controllers and Marine One pilots and reviewing the procedures involved. The three-minute notification was communicated by alternate means, acknowledged by a controller and positive contact was established with Marine One before takeoff.\"\nThe NTSB said preliminary estimates show the helicopter and plane were just over 0.8 miles apart laterally and about 700 feet apart vertically at their closest. The crew of the Envoy Air flight told investigators they received a traffic warning from their collision avoidance system right after they took off, but they never saw the helicopter.\nThe official FAA recordings from the tower at Reagan did not include the warnings that Marine One was getting ready to head to Andrews Air Force Base with the president aboard that day.\nA recording posted by ATC.com showed the Marine One pilot telling the tower that the helicopter was \"three minutes to life\" just like the 2013 agreement between the FAA and the military calls for. But the controller seemed surprised a few minutes later when the helicopter took off.\n\"Uh, Marine One, you said, uh, you're proceeding as briefed?\" the controller asked before giving the helicopter directions and commenting, \"OK, no three minutes, roger, proceed as briefed.\"\nAfter the controller warned the helicopter about the plane taking off, the Marine One pilot said he saw the traffic and declared, \"We'll be doing a momentary delay.\"\nAfter last year's midair collision, it became clear that poor communication between air traffic controllers and the military had been a longstanding issue. During a congressional hearing, it came out that a hotline connecting the Pentagon to the tower at Reagan hadn't been working for more than three years, and the FAA hadn't even realized it.\nThe NTSB said that after this incident involving Marine One, FAA technicians determined that there wasn't adequate line of sight between the radio receiver at the airport and the location where the helicopter takes off at the White House. So those radios were moved from the neighborhood where they had been located to the top of the tower at Reagan. Subsequent tests showed the radios working well after that change.",{"_278":236,"_279":340,"_280":341},"98a8b8bb-7733-44a6-a59b-609ddc13d9dc",{"_27":340,"_40":342,"_283":343,"_42":344,"_248":345,"_286":-5,"_29":287,"_288":346,"_290":347,"_241":324,"_80":-5,"_82":121,"_235":348,"_278":236,"_313":361},"Marine One pilots knew about communication issues before close call","Marine One pilots had a meeting five days before the incident to address \"spotty\" radio communication with Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport air traffic controllers. Despite agreeing on an alternative contact method, both methods failed on August 4, leading to a simultaneous departure with an Envoy Air flight, though the helicopter briefly delayed its takeoff upon spotting the jet. The incident, which occurred due to construction at the White House, is under investigation by the NTSB and FAA.","The pilots of Marine One tried to resolve communication issues in a meeting with air traffic controllers from Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport five days before the presidential transport helicopter departed at the same time as a passenger jet, according to a preliminary report released by the National Transportation Safety Board on Thursday.","https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/AP26239700466920.jpg?resize=1200,683","2026-08-27T20:42:03","https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/white-house/4703181/marine-one-pilots-knew-communication-issues-before-close-call/",{"_27":349,"_294":350,"_137":296,"_80":351,"_308":358,"_309":359,"_311":360},"f2aae228d6756d6227295e86c9a664a81004374a3468f5e61a6c0f57273d7edc","3a0f572962055453a28c101c6d5a6d4537e2d0ab541b4889f194801abb85f07c696bd71617ceb5d6f88d03aeaf7bd01196e57ead438716b5d3d529ad4a8510af",[352,353,354,356,357],[241,342],[44,345],[301,355,39,303],"30023:273e8bb9fd7425c0374f8baaf3104fc54a564adcca09161692dd60c903b72e26:98a8b8bb-7733-44a6-a59b-609ddc13d9dc",[305,39],[140,358,39],"273e8bb9fd7425c0374f8baaf3104fc54a564adcca09161692dd60c903b72e26","Marine One pilots knew about communication issues before close call\nThe pilots of Marine One tried to resolve communication issues in a meeting with air traffic controllers from Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport five days before the presidential transport helicopter departed at the same time as a passenger jet, according to a preliminary report released by the National Transportation Safety Board on Thursday.\n\n\nnostr:naddr1qvzqqqr4gupzqfe73wul6ap9cqm5lza27vgyl3222e9dejsfzctf9htqeypmwt3xqqjrjwrp8p3rscnz95mnwven956rgcfk94sn2wtz95mrqwtyv33nzvmy89jxx3a0evm ",1787899600,"The pilots of Marine One tried to resolve communication issues in a meeting with air traffic controllers from Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport five days before the presidential transport helicopter departed at the same time as a passenger jet, according to a preliminary report released by the National Transportation Safety Board on Thursday.\nThe Marine One pilots confirmed DCA controllers’ concerns that radio communication “had been spotty” in their July 30 meeting. Both sides agreed to an alternative contact method in case the initial attempt failed. Both methods were unsuccessful in the aviation incident.\nOn Aug. 4, Marine One took off from the Ellipse park near the White House around the same time as an Envoy Air flight departed from DCA. President Donald Trump was aboard the helicopter at the time.\nThe helicopter pilots tried to give the air traffic control tower a three-minute warning prior to their departure, as required, but the message couldn’t get through initially. The alternative method was to relay the three-minute call through the helicopter facility at Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling, but that didn’t work either.\nAfter two failed attempts, the Marine One pilots eventually established contact with the tower once they reached a certain altitude. By then, the airplane was already airborne after being cleared for takeoff.\nThe on-duty controller relayed that information to the helicopter pilots, who then reported seeing the commercial flight and decided to briefly delay Marine One. Both aircraft proceeded on their respective journeys.\nThough the incident resulted in no collision, it was reminiscent of the fatal crash involving a military helicopter and a passenger jet at DCA in January 2025.\nThe mandatory three-minute warning, which is part of an agreement between the Pentagon and the Federal Aviation Administration, predated last year’s mid-air collision. The FAA later took steps to halt commercial flights anytime a helicopter passes near DCA on a conflicting route.\nThe FAA said the Aug. 4 incident “didn’t appear to be a dangerous close call.” Separately, the White House said Trump was never “in harm’s way.” The FAA reported the closest distance between the helicopter and plane at any point was about 0.82 nautical miles laterally and about 700 feet vertically, according to the NTSB.\nThe FAA and NTSB launched similar investigations into the Aug. 4 incident the following day. In its preliminary report, the NTSB said its investigation remains ongoing.\nNotably, the report says Marine One took off from the Ellipse due to ongoing construction at the White House.\nThe note likely refers to the helipad construction on the South Lawn, where the presidential helicopter normally lands and takes off. The granite landing pad is not yet complete, though it was partially unveiled during a press tour led by the president last week.",[],"selectedArticleImage","rootArticleImageUrl","consensusHtml","tweets",[],"userSchema","relatedArticles",[281,341,317],"actionData","errors"]

Investigators Detail Marine One Communication Failures

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