{"id":2650673,"date":"2026-08-27T16:52:02","date_gmt":"2026-08-27T20:52:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/marine-one-pilots-knew-about-communication-issues-before-close-call\/"},"modified":"2026-08-27T16:56:19","modified_gmt":"2026-08-27T20:56:19","slug":"marine-one-pilots-knew-about-communication-issues-before-close-call","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/marine-one-pilots-knew-about-communication-issues-before-close-call\/","title":{"rendered":"Marine One pilots knew about communication issues before close call"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">20<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fmarine-one-pilots-knew-about-communication-issues-before-close-call%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2650673&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>On August 4, Marine One helicopters experienced communication issues with air traffic control at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) prior to a flight carrying President Donald Trump. Despite efforts to alert the tower with a three-minute warning and an alternative relaying method through Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling, initial contact attempts failed. The pilots eventually established communication once reaching a certain altitude, after wich they coordinated with air traffic control to avoid a nearby commercial flight, which had departed earlier that morning. Although the incident did not result in a collision,it raised concerns about safety,reminiscent of a past fatal crash at DCA. The FAA and NTSB are investigating, with the NTSB&#8217;s preliminary report confirming ongoing inquiries. The incident occurred amid ongoing construction at the White House helipad,prompting the use of an alternate departure location. The FAA noted that the situation did not pose a danger to President Trump or others onboard.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<article class=\"fn-body\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The pilots of Marine One tried to resolve communication issues in a meeting with air traffic controllers from Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport five days before the presidential transport helicopter departed at the same time as a passenger jet, according to a preliminary report released by the <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/national-transportation-safety-board\/\" data-type=\"post_tag\" data-id=\"1326\">National Transportation Safety Board<\/a> on Thursday.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Marine One pilots confirmed DCA controllers\u2019 concerns that radio communication \u201chad been spotty\u201d in their July 30 meeting. Both sides agreed to an alternative contact method in case the initial attempt failed. Both methods were unsuccessful in the aviation incident.<\/p>\n<section class=\"explore-more-section\" id=\"wex-recommended-widget\">\n<div class=\"magazine-container single\">\n<h1 class=\"magazine-title mt-2\">Recommended Stories<\/h1>\n<p>             <i class=\"fa-solid fa-play icon\"><\/i>         <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-grid\">\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/white-house\/4703181\/marine-one-pilots-knew-communication-issues-before-close-call\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Marine One pilots knew about communication issues before close-call incident, NTSB says<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/white-house\/4701097\/trump-ted-cruz-2028-run\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Trump calls Ted Cruz \u2018very talented\u2019 but stops short of backing 2028 bid<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/white-house\/4702998\/trump-says-putin-wont-attack-nato-territory\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Trump says Putin won\u2019t attack NATO territory<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">On Aug. 4, Marine One took off from the Ellipse park near the <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/white-house\/\" data-type=\"post_tag\" data-id=\"8767\">White House<\/a> around the same time as an Envoy Air flight departed from DCA. President <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/donald-trump\/\" data-type=\"post_tag\" data-id=\"4\">Donald Trump<\/a> was aboard the helicopter at the time.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-1\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap wex-ad-art-dsk-inart-1\" style=\"min-height:90px\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" hidden>Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-15\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-1\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The helicopter pilots tried to give the air traffic control tower a three-minute warning prior to their departure, as required, but the message couldn\u2019t get through initially. The alternative method was to relay the three-minute call through the helicopter facility at Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling, but that didn\u2019t work either.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">After two failed attempts, the Marine One pilots eventually established contact with the tower once they reached a certain altitude. By then, the airplane was already airborne after being cleared for takeoff.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The on-duty controller relayed that information to the helicopter pilots, who then reported seeing the commercial flight and decided to briefly delay Marine One. Both aircraft proceeded on their respective journeys.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-2\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap wex-ad-art-dsk-inart-2\" style=\"min-height:90px\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" hidden>Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-16\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-2\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Though the incident resulted in no collision, it was reminiscent of the fatal crash involving a military helicopter and a passenger jet at DCA in January 2025.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The mandatory three-minute warning, which is part of an agreement between the <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/pentagon\/\" data-type=\"post_tag\" data-id=\"271\">Pentagon<\/a> and the <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/federal-aviation-administration\/\" data-type=\"post_tag\" data-id=\"2521\">Federal Aviation Administration<\/a>, predated last year\u2019s mid-air collision. The FAA later took steps to halt commercial flights anytime a helicopter passes near DCA on a conflicting route.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The FAA said the Aug. 4 incident \u201cdidn\u2019t appear to be a dangerous close call.\u201d Separately, the White House said Trump was never \u201cin harm\u2019s way.\u201d The FAA reported the closest distance between the helicopter and plane at any point was about 0.82 nautical miles laterally and about 700 feet vertically, according to the NTSB.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-3\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap wex-ad-art-dsk-inart-3\" style=\"min-height:90px\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" hidden>Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-17\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-3\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The FAA and NTSB launched similar investigations into the Aug. 4 incident the following day. In its preliminary report, the NTSB said its investigation remains ongoing.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/travel\/4701801\/faa-air-traffic-controller-raises-staffing-shortage\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"4701801\">FAA LEAVES AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLER RAISES IN LIMBO AMID MOUNTING STRAIN ON SYSTEM<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Notably, the report says Marine One took off from the Ellipse due to ongoing construction at the White House.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-4\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap wex-ad-art-dsk-inart-4\" style=\"min-height:90px\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" hidden>Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-25\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-4\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The note likely refers to the helipad construction on the South Lawn, where the presidential helicopter normally lands and takes off. The granite landing pad is not yet complete, though it was partially unveiled during a press tour led by the president last week.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Marine One pilots discussed comms issues five days before incident<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2159,"featured_media":2650674,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP26239700466920.jpg?w=696","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[33651,538],"tags":[14743,15554,7801,69472],"class_list":["post-2650673","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-western-journal","category-washington-examiner","tag-aviation","tag-communication","tag-marine","tag-near-miss-2"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP26239700466920.jpg?w=696","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2650673","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2159"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2650673"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2650673\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2650676,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2650673\/revisions\/2650676"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2650674"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2650673"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2650673"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2650673"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}