U.S. aviation authorities are investigating a reported loss of separation between Marine One, the helicopter carrying President Donald Trump, and a commercial passenger aircraft near Washington, DC, officials said.
According to Agence France-Presse (AFP), citing the New York Times and U.S. aviation officials, the incident occurred on Tuesday, August 4. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) confirmed on Wednesday that it had opened an investigation into the reported close encounter near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA).
The NTSB said it is examining a reported “loss of separation” between the presidential helicopter and a commercial aircraft departing the airport.
The New York Times, citing two people familiar with the matter, reported that Marine One came within less than one mile of the passenger jet after communications with air traffic controllers were reportedly garbled. The exact distance between the aircraft has not been officially confirmed.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said air traffic controllers remained in contact with both aircraft throughout the incident. U.S. aviation safety standards generally require aircraft operating in similar airspace to maintain minimum horizontal and vertical separation distances.
The White House said President Trump was never in danger.
White House spokesman Kush Desai said Marine One is operated by “some of the best aviators in the world” and stressed that “at no point was the president in harm’s way.”
According to the Wall Street Journal, the commercial aircraft involved was an American Airlines Embraer E-170 operated by regional carrier Envoy Air. Marine One was reportedly flying to Joint Base Andrews, where Trump was scheduled to board Air Force One for a trip to California.
The incident comes amid heightened attention to aviation safety around Washington National Airport following the January 2025 midair collision between a commercial airliner and a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter that killed 67 people. Since then, regulators have introduced tighter coordination procedures for civilian and military aircraft operating in the capital’s airspace.
Neither the U.S. Marine Corps nor American Airlines immediately commented on the investigation.
The NTSB and FAA are expected to review flight data, air traffic control communications and operating procedures to determine how the aircraft came into close proximity and whether additional safety measures are needed.
