FAA reviews incident involving Marine One, commercial plane flying too close near DC airport

Marine One and a commercial aircraft briefly flew close to each other near Ronald Reagan National Airport in Washington on Tuesday, prompting the Federal Aviation Administration to investigate the incident.

“Based on our preliminary safety review, there was momentary loss of separation after which the aircraft continued to move away from one another,” the FAA said in a statement Wednesday.

President Donald Trump was aboard Marine One as the helicopter departed the White House for Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland. The airplane was allowed to take off and was climbing above Marine One as the helicopter approached, so the two aircraft were not on a collision course, The Associated Press reported.

“The air traffic controller was in contact with both the commercial pilot and Marine One pilot during the loss of separation. As the White House has said, the President was never in danger,” the FAA said.

The Wall Street Journal first reported the incident.

“There were no ‘close calls’ with the routine Marine One movement,” Tuesday, said Marine Corps spokesman, Capt. Jacob Sugg in an email to the AP. “Washington National Tower did not delay the helicopter crew, ask them to hold, or otherwise alter their flight profile. To the contrary, the ATC team approved the requested route and provided timely and appropriate traffic information.”

The FAA implemented new safety measures this year following the midair collision on Jan. 29, 2025, that killed 67 people when an airliner collided with an Army Black Hawk helicopter.

The rules require all takeoffs and landings at Ronald Reagan National Airport to be halted whenever a helicopter passes near the airport, according to AP.

The agency is continuing to review the incident, and will “implement any appropriate corrective actions” based on its findings.