The FAA is investigating a loss of separation involving a commercial airliner and a military helicopter carrying President Donald Trump.
According to the agency, Trump’s Marine One helicopter took off from the White House Tuesday afternoon, and air traffic controllers at nearby Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (KDCA) did not halt commercial traffic as required under a policy created last year after the midair collision between a military helicopter and an American Airlines regional jet that resulted in the deaths of 67 people.
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According to the investigation, the president’s helicopter lifted off from the Ellipse park near the White House at approximately 2:33 p.m. EDT, commuting to Joint Base Andrews (KADW) for a subsequent trip to Los Angeles.
At 2:34 p.m. an Envoy Air Flight 3742, an Embraer E170, lifted off from KDCA bound for Pensacola, Florida.
Federal aviation regulations require aircraft to be separated by at least 1.5 miles horizontally and 500 feet vertically around airports. Flight crews are responsible for maintaining visual separation and can deviate from assigned routes if necessary to ensure safety.
The FAA reports there was an apparent loss of separation but noted it did not appear to be a dangerous close call as the aircraft were not converging.
Trump’s helicopter and jet made it to their destinations without incident.