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

What the report says

The Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board are investigating a close call involving President Donald Trump’s Marine One and a passenger jet near Washington’s Reagan National Airport, Al Jazeera reported on August 6, 2026. The FAA said its preliminary review found a brief loss of separation between the aircraft before they moved apart again, and said Trump was not in danger. An air traffic controller remained in contact with both pilots, according to the agency.

Al Jazeera, citing Reuters and unnamed sources, reported that controllers had not stopped commercial departures during Marine One’s departure from the White House area on Tuesday afternoon. Marine One lifted off at about 2:33pm local time en route to Joint Base Andrews, ahead of Trump’s trip to Los Angeles. The article said the helicopter and the passenger aircraft both landed safely, though the FAA had not publicly confirmed which flights were involved.

Reuters sources identified the commercial jet as Envoy Air flight 3742, operated for American Airlines and headed to Pensacola, Florida. A second flight, Republic 4700, was reportedly rerouted as a precaution after coming within three miles of the airport. The near-miss is significant because it comes after the January 2025 crash near Reagan National that killed 67 people and led to tighter rules on helicopter and commercial traffic in the area.