FAA investigates near miss involving Trump’s Marine One at Reagan National

Federal aviation officials are investigating why a passenger plane was allowed to take off as Marine One approached Reagan National Airport in Washington, D.C., with President Donald Trump on board. The helicopter and the departing aircraft were briefly too close for standard procedures, though they were not on a collision course.

The incident unfolded Tuesday, August 5, 2026, as Marine One left the White House carrying Trump toward Reagan National. Air-traffic control audio reviewed by CNN included a reference to “broken and unreadable” communication with Marine One, a detail that has sharpened questions about whether controllers and presidential flight operations were fully coordinated.

The Federal Aviation Administration is examining the episode, and the National Transportation Safety Board is also involved in the review. CBS News reported that both agencies are looking into why airport traffic was not halted when Marine One was departing the White House Tuesday afternoon. The White House said Trump was never in harm’s way.

The scrutiny is especially acute because of the fatal February 2025 midair collision near Reagan National Airport, when an Army Black Hawk helicopter and an American Airlines jet crashed in the same airspace. That disaster prompted tighter safety procedures meant to keep helicopters and commercial flights from operating simultaneously in the protected airspace around the airport. This week’s incident is now being measured against those safeguards, with investigators focused on whether a plane should have been cleared for departure while Marine One was inbound.

The broader concern goes beyond one close call involving a presidential helicopter. Reagan National sits inside one of the most sensitive air corridors in the country, where routine commercial operations intersect with executive-branch security and military flight rules. The FAA’s review will test whether the layers of separation built after last year’s crash were followed, or whether a breakdown in communication let two aircraft get closer than they should have.