Close call: FAA probes Trump's Marine One helicopter operational lapse: WSJ report

Washington, DC [US], August 5 (ANI): The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has launched an inquiry into a Tuesday afternoon operational lapse involving Marine One, the official helicopter carrying US President Donald Trump, after air traffic controllers failed to pause commercial departures at a nearby airport, according to media reports.

The presidential aircraft lifted off from the White House under routine conditions on Tuesday afternoon. However, air traffic personnel at the adjacent Reagan Washington National Airport had not yet suspended commercial flight operations, as required under standard safety protocols during Marine One departures, The Wall Street Journal first reported.

Due to the delay in holding traffic, a commercial jet took off around the same time as the President's departure, resulting in a loss of standard separation, the mandatory buffer maintained by flight controllers to ensure safe distances between aircraft.

Addressing the situation, White House spokesperson Kush Desai reassured that presidential security was never compromised during the flight.

"Marine One flights are piloted by some of the best aviators in the world, and at no point was the President in harm's way," Desai told NewsNation, The Hill's sister network, in a statement.

Although officials confirmed that the departing jet was not on a direct collision course with Marine One, federal investigators are actively reviewing the circumstances surrounding the procedural breakdown.

Under federal aviation safety regulations, aircraft are required to maintain a minimum separation distance of 1.5 miles horizontally or 500 feet vertically while in transit.

The guidelines mandating a complete halt to commercial operations at Reagan Washington National Airport during low-altitude presidential and military movements were introduced following a fatal mid-air collision between an American Airlines passenger aircraft and an Army Black Hawk helicopter in January 2025. (ANI)

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