Marine One Radio Breakdown Preceded Reagan Airport Safety Incident, NTSB Says

Presidential helicopter crew attempted to provide required departure notice, but communications failures left controllers unaware as a passenger jet departed nearby.

WASHINGTON | A communications breakdown prevented the flight crew of Marine One from successfully notifying air traffic controllers before departing with President Donald Trump aboard, contributing to an Aug. 4 loss-of-separation incident near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, according to federal investigators.

The National Transportation Safety Board said the military helicopter crew attempted at least twice to provide the required three-minute notice before departure. Those calls, however, did not reach controllers responsible for coordinating traffic around the airport.

Without receiving the notice, controllers allowed a commercial passenger jet to depart Reagan National as Marine One entered the surrounding airspace. Commercial aircraft operations are normally paused during presidential helicopter movements to maintain required separation and reduce the risk of conflicting flight paths.

The incident did not result in a collision or reported injuries, but it renewed concerns about air traffic control communications and the coordination of military and civilian aircraft in some of the nation’s most congested and highly restricted airspace.

Investigators determined that Marine One and the regional passenger jet came within approximately 0.8 miles horizontally and 700 feet vertically. Although federal officials said President Trump was never in immediate danger, the aircraft were closer than the prescribed separation standard. Associated Press