US aviation agency says preliminary review found brief loss of separation involving Marine One, commercial flight

A preliminary safety review found a brief loss of required separation between Marine One and a commercial aircraft near Washington, but President Donald Trump was never in danger, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said Wednesday.

"Based on our preliminary safety review, there was momentary loss of separation after which the aircraft continued to move away from one another," the FAA said, according to local media.

The agency said the air traffic controller remained in communication with both the commercial pilot and the Marine One pilot throughout the incident.

"As the White House has said, the President was never in danger," the FAA added.

The FAA said it is continuing to investigate the incident and will take any appropriate corrective action based on its findings.

The agency announced Tuesday that it was investigating an air traffic safety incident involving Trump's Marine One helicopter near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport shortly after it departed the White House.

The FAA imposed tighter restrictions on helicopter and aircraft operations around Reagan National following the Jan. 29, 2025, midair collision between a US Army Black Hawk helicopter and an American Airlines regional jet that killed 67 people.