‘Safety incident’ involving Trump’s helicopter as White House releases assertion
US President Donald Trump’s helicopter was approaching an airport on Tuesday, August 4 when the incident occurred in what could be a violation of safety procedures
US President Donald Trump steps off Marine One before boarding Air Force One for a trip to Michigan on July 27, 2026(Image: Getty)
Transport officials are looking into why passenger jet was allowed to take off as Marine Forces One approached with the US president on board.
US President Donald Trump’s helicopter as approaching Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport on Tuesday, August 4 when the incident occurred in what could be a violation of safety procedures.
The National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration said on Wednesday they were investigating what happened.
US President Donald Trump walks over to Marine One after landing in Air Force One on July 03, 2026 at Ellsworth Air Force Base, South Dakota(Image: Getty)
Poor communication between the military and the civilian air traffic controllers at Reagan has been an issue in the past.
Last year, 67 people lost their lives when an airliner collided with an Army Black Hawk helicopter.
As a result, the FAA decided that all take-offs and landings at the Washington, DC airport would be halted anytime a helicopter passes by on a conflicting route.
The airspace near the White House and Reagan is heavily congested with military and commercial aircraft.
The two aircraft were not on a collision course as the passenger jet was climbing above Marine One as the helicopter approached.
The FAA said in a statement that “there was a momentary loss of separation after which the aircraft continued to move away from one another.”
“The air traffic controller was in contact with both the commercial pilot and Marine One pilot during the loss of separation,” the FAA said.
The White House said that Trump was never in danger.
A flock of geese walk on the Ellipse in front of the Washington Monument as Marine One arrives to transfer US President Donald Trump to Joint Base Andrews on July 22, 2026(Image: Getty)
“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 said in a statement.
The Marine Corps defended the actions of their helicopter pilots.
