Marine One’s crew made repeated but unsuccessful attempts to notify Reagan National Airport that President Donald Trump’s helicopter was preparing to depart on August 4, 2026, before it flew near a commercial passenger jet, according to a preliminary report from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) released on August 27, 2026.

The NTSB report stated that the crew’s first call to Reagan National’s helicopter-control frequency before departing from the Ellipse was not received, and a second transmission was described as "broken and completely unreadable." After failing to reach the tower, the Marine One crew attempted to relay the required three-minute notification through the helicopter facility at Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling, but this effort was also unsuccessful.

The passenger jet was beginning its initial climb as Marine One departed the Ellipse, located about two miles north of Reagan National Airport. During a subsequent meeting, HMX-1, the Marine One unit, told controllers that communications had been "spotty," and controllers had raised concerns that HMX-1 crews had not always provided the required three-minute warning before takeoff.

FAA technicians later determined that there was inadequate line-of-sight coverage between the radio transmitter-receiver site and the Ellipse, where Marine One was temporarily operating during construction at the White House.

The NTSB’s preliminary safety review noted a momentary loss of separation between the aircraft, after which they continued to move away from one another. The air traffic controller was in contact with both the commercial pilot and Marine One pilot during this loss of separation. Marine One stated that its flights are piloted by some of the best aviators in the world and that at no point was the president in harm’s way.

President Donald Trump was seen stepping off Marine One to board Air Force One at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland, on the same day.

The NTSB report is intended to present the factual information developed to date and does not include analysis, conclusions, or findings related to probable cause.

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