Passenger plane taking off got too close to Trump’s Marine One helicopter, NTSB and FAA to investigate
By Hanna Park, Aaron Cooper, CNN
(CNN) — Investigations are underway into how a commercial jet full of passengers got too close to the military helicopter carrying President Donald Trump, the Federal Aviation Administration and National Transportation Safety Board said Wednesday.
The Marine One helicopter took off from the Ellipse just south of the White House on Tuesday afternoon, but air traffic at nearby Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport continued for a couple of minutes afterward, according to a CNN review of air-traffic control audio captured by ATC.com.
Planes are typically halted at the airport, located about three miles from the White House, when the president lifts off.
“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. “We are continuing to review the incident and will implement any appropriate corrective actions based on our findings.”
The NTSB also announced Wednesday it was opening an investigation into the incident.
There has been growing scrutiny of the extremely crowded airspace around Reagan National Airport in the wake of a collision last year between a US Army Blackhawk helicopter and an American Airlines regional jet, killing all 67 people on board.
Following that crash, the FAA imposed heavy restrictions on helicopters operating near the airport.
A review of air-traffic control audio indicates the pilots of Marine One told a Reagan National tower controller they were preparing to take off at least three times. The controller didn’t appear to acknowledge the transmission, and traffic at the airport continued.
“Tower, do you copy. Marine One, three minutes to lift,” a pilot said at 2:31 p.m., the audio shows. The pilot called again, but the controller answered that the transmission was “broken and unreadable.”
Minutes later, the pilots said they were departing on their planned route. “Uh …” the controller replied, according to the audio. “Marine One, you said you are proceeding as briefed?”
He then warned the helicopter about a regional jet already taking off. The pilots said they saw the plane and held their position before flying on to Joint Base Andrews, Maryland, where Trump boarded an Air Force One flight to Los Angeles.
“The air traffic controller was in contact with both the commercial pilot and Marine One pilot during the loss of separation,” the FAA said. “As the White House has said, the President was never in danger.”
Marine One lifted off from the White House Ellipse, near the South Lawn, around 2:33 p.m., according to a pool report.
About one minute later, at 2:34 p.m., American Airlines flight 3742, an E170 regional jet operated by Envoy Air and bound for Pensacola, Florida, took off from Reagan National Airport. Envoy is a wholly owned subsidiary of American Airlines.
The commercial jet passed within 1.5 miles of the Ellipse, according to tracking to Flightradar24. Both aircraft landed safely.
The plane can be seen ascending as the helicopter moves past the skyline in the other direction, in video captured by independent journalist Dave Statter.
“Marine One’s flight on Aug. 4 was routine,” a spokesperson for the US Marine Corps told CNN in a statement. “Washington National Tower did not delay the helicopter crew, ask them to hold, or otherwise alter their flight profile.”
CNN has reached out to Envoy Air, American Airlines and the White House for comment.
“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,” White House spokesperson Kush Desai told the Wall Street Journal.
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CNN’s Diego Mendoza and Pete Muntean contributed to this report.
