Marine One carrying US President Donald Trump flies by the Washington Monument near the White House in Washington, DC, US on Aug 27, 2026. (File photo: Reuters/Evan Vucci)
28 Aug 2026 12:07PM
(Updated: 28 Aug 2026 12:18PM)
WASHINGTON: The crew of a military helicopter carrying President Donald Trump that came too close to a passenger jet on Aug 4 failed to contact air traffic controllers before departing, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said on Thursday (Aug 27).The incident involving a plane departing Reagan Washington National Airport raised questions about why the passenger aeroplane was allowed to depart while Marine One was nearby, a time when commercial traffic is typically halted.The incident was tied to communication problems that have emerged since Marine One helicopter flights were moved off the White House south lawn in May to the nearby Ellipse, and have not resumed as work on a helipad continues.The NTSB said the Marine One crew at least twice attempted to give controllers a required three-minute notice of departure but were hampered by communications issues. The NTSB said the crew also sought to contact controllers through the helicopter facility at Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling, which was also unsuccessful.
