Marine One crew failed to contact air traffic control before safety incident, report says

The crew of a military helicopter carrying US President Donald Trump failed to contact air traffic controllers before departing on August 4, an incident that raised questions about safety protocols. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) stated that the crew attempted twice to provide the required three-minute notice of departure but were hampered by communications issues.

These communication problems have been ongoing since Marine One helicopter flights were relocated from the White House south lawn to the nearby Ellipse in May. Work on a helipad continues, preventing a return to the original location. The NTSB also noted that attempts to contact controllers through the helicopter facility at Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling were unsuccessful.

Following the incident, the head of the Federal Aviation Administration, Bryan Bedford, reported that the agency relocated an antenna and changed a procedure. Subsequent checks have shown no further communication issues. The NTSB's investigation revealed that the Marine One crew had described communications as "spotty" and agreed to use alternative methods when unable to reach the tower directly.

Federal Aviation Administration rules mandate a minimum horizontal separation of 1.5 miles and a vertical separation of 500 feet around airports. During the August 4 incident, Marine One and the passenger jet were at one point separated by 0.82 nautical miles laterally and 700 feet vertically. Another regional flight was rerouted as a precaution.

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had been spotty