FAA says Trump’s Marine One briefly flew too close to passenger jet

A military helicopter carrying President Trump experienced a momentary loss of separation from a commercial aircraft at Reagan National airport on Tuesday afternoon, according to preliminary findings by the Federal Aviation Administration. The FAA confirmed that both aircraft maintained safe distances after the initial proximity and that an air traffic controller remained in contact with both pilots throughout the incident. The helicopter departed from the Ellipse near the White House at approximately 2:33 p.m. local time, heading toward Joint Base Andrews as part of preparations for a presidential trip to Los Angeles.

According to sources cited by Reuters, the commercial aircraft involved was Envoy Air flight 3742, a regional jet operated for American Airlines and bound for Pensacola, Florida. A second flight, Republic 4700, was separately rerouted as a precaution after coming within three miles of the airport. Both aircraft landed safely, though the FAA has not officially confirmed either flight's involvement in the incident.

The near-miss has renewed attention to air traffic control procedures at Reagan National following a January 2025 collision between a military helicopter and an American Airlines regional jet that resulted in 67 fatalities. That accident prompted the implementation of permanent restrictions on mixed helicopter and commercial traffic at the airport, along with a subsequent ban introduced in March on visual-only separation methods for helicopters near major U.S. airports. Sources indicated that air traffic controllers did not pause commercial departures as mandated under these safety protocols. The National Transportation Safety Board announced it would conduct its own investigation into Tuesday's incident.