The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is investigating a safety incident involving a Marine One helicopter carrying US President Donald Trump.
According to The Wall Street Journal, the August 4, 2026, incident centers around whether the White House helicopter was sufficiently separated from nearby aircraft at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA).
The newspaper was told by sources that air traffic controllers did not hold commercial flights as is required under protocols brought in after the Potomac River mid-air collision.
“The FAA is investigating a safety incident involving Marine One, but it didn’t appear to be a dangerous close call, and the aircraft weren’t apparently converging,” the FAA told Reuters.
A source that spoke to Reuters said the apparent loss of separation involved an Embraer E175, operated by Envoy Air on behalf of American Airlines, that left DCA just after 14.30.
President Donald Trump’s Marine One departed from the Ellipse, close to the White House, minutes after, according to Reuters.
FAA rules require at least 1.5 nautical miles or 500 feet of separation between aircraft in Class B airspace like Reagan National’s.
It appears that the Marine One helicopter and the Embraer E175LR did not follow that rule. However, Reuter’s source said the aircraft were not converging.
Airspace around Ronald Reagan has been under intense scrutiny since the January 29, 2025, midair collision between a Sikorsky UH-60L helicopter and a flight operated by PSA Airlines.
The two pilots, two flight attendants, and 60 passengers on board the PSA Airline flight and all three crewmembers on board the helicopter died
Several steps have been taken since to prevent a similar tragedy including stopping the use of visual separation to keep aircraft apart.