The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is reportedly investigating an allegation that air traffic was not halted during the takeoff of the Marine One helicopter carrying President Donald Trump, treating the matter as a "security incident."
According to a report by The Wall Street Journal citing unnamed sources, the incident occurred as the presidential helicopter carrying Trump took off from the White House. The sources alleged that commercial flights at the nearby Ronald Reagan Airport were not suspended during this time.
Stating that halting such flights is required under security protocols, the sources noted that otherwise, the maintenance of a safe distance between the helicopter and other aircraft could be at risk. It was reported that the FAA is also reviewing communications between the Marine One crew and air traffic controllers at the airport.
An unnamed FAA spokesperson stated that the incident was a "close call" but noted that there was no dangerously close encounter with a commercial aircraft when Marine One took off.
White House spokesperson Kush Desai stated that the pilots who conduct Marine One flights are "among the best aviators in the world" and declared that Trump was not in danger during the incident.
Ronald Reagan Airport previously made headlines on January 29, 2025, following a mid-air collision between an American Airlines passenger plane and a Black Hawk military helicopter. All 67 people on board the two aircraft, which crashed into the Potomac River, lost their lives.
Following that accident, the FAA had reduced the number of simultaneous aircraft and helicopter operations permitted around the airport.
News Source: 12punto
