Washington Airport Gets Extra Warning for Marine One Departures After Near-Miss Incident

Air traffic controllers at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport will receive an advance warning whenever Marine One departs the White House. The Federal Aviation Administration introduced the protocol after a recent incident brought the presidential helicopter dangerously close to a commercial passenger jet.

On August 4, an Envoy Air jet and Marine One flew within 0.8 miles horizontally and 700 feet vertically of each other. Standard FAA rules require at least 1.5 miles of horizontal separation and 500 feet of vertical clearance near airports. The commercial flight's collision-avoidance system triggered an alert shortly after takeoff, prompting the crew to climb above the helicopter. The operators of the commercial aircraft did not visually identify the presidential chopper during the approach, the FAA investigation noted, but Marine One's pilots spotted the aircraft and held their position until it cleared the area.

Communication breakdowns contributed to the near-miss. Marine One pilots attempted to warn controllers twice before departure, but official tower recordings did not capture the transmissions. The crew also tried to relay the departure notice through Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling, but that effort failed as well.

President Donald Trump was aboard Marine One during the August 4 flight, though both the FAA and the White House confirmed he faced no danger. The agency already enforces a ban on takeoffs and landings at Reagan when helicopters are active. This rule took effect after a January 2025 midair collision between a passenger airliner and an Army Black Hawk helicopter over the Potomac River killed 67 people. That accident marked the deadliest U.S. aviation disaster since a November 2001 crash in Queens, New York, that claimed 273 lives.

The new notification system strengthens existing safety nets. The National Capital Region Coordination Center coordinates with the FAA and "has an agreement to notify the air traffic control tower before Marine One departs the White House." This works alongside a standard three-minute alert from the helicopter itself, giving controllers time to clear airspace for the flight to Joint Base Andrews in Maryland. Meanwhile, Trump recently unveiled a 100-foot granite helipad on the South Lawn. He previously restricted access for CNN, MS NOW, and Politico, but a federal judge granted a temporary restraining order restoring their credentials, with a full hearing scheduled for Thursday.