US probes near-miss incident involving Trump helicopter

U.S. aviation authorities are scrutinizing an incident where Donald Trump's helicopter, Marine One, reportedly flew too close to a commercial passenger plane over Washington D.C. The event, which occurred on August 4th, has prompted an investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) into a "loss of separation" incident involving the presidential helicopter and an outbound flight from Washington National Airport.

According to reports citing individuals familiar with the matter, the helicopter came within a mile of the passenger jet during a flight over the U.S. capital. This proximity occurred amid a loss of communication with air traffic controllers. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) confirmed that air traffic controllers maintained contact with both aircraft pilots during the event.

“

The president’s helicopter is piloted by some of the best aviators in the world and the president was never in danger for a moment.

Despite the close call, the White House asserted that President Trump was never in any danger. A spokesperson stated that the president's helicopter is piloted by "some of the best aviators in the world." The U.S. Marine Corps operates Marine One. The NTSB is investigating the incident, and the FAA indicated that corrective actions will be taken based on the findings.

Safety regulations typically require a minimum horizontal separation of 1.5 miles (approximately 2.4 km) and a vertical separation of 500 feet (nearly 170 meters) in such circumstances. The commercial flight involved was an Embraer E-170 operated by Envoy Air, a subsidiary of American Airlines. Marine One was en route to Joint Base Andrews, where Trump would transfer to Air Force One for his trip to California. Neither American Airlines nor the U.S. Marine Corps immediately responded to requests for comment.

“

The president was never in danger. We continue to review this incident and will take all necessary corrective measures based on our findings.