NTSB Report Blames White House Construction for Marine One Near-Miss

The National Transportation Safety Board released a preliminary report detailing a near-miss on August 4 between Marine One, carrying Donald Trump, and an Envoy Air regional jet near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. The aircraft passed within approximately 0.8 miles laterally and 700 feet vertically, violating the standard 1.5-mile horizontal separation rule.

Investigators found that construction of a new ballroom at the White House forced Marine One to use a temporary takeoff location at the Ellipse. This relocation created a line-of-sight obstruction that blocked radio transmissions, causing air traffic controllers to miss the required three-minute warning call. Despite a meeting between pilots and controllers a week prior to address similar radio issues, both primary and backup communication attempts—including a relay through Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling—failed.

The incident triggered a collision avoidance warning in the Envoy Air jet, while Marine One pilots spotted the aircraft and paused until it cleared the area. The Federal Aviation Administration stated the president was never in danger and described the event as a momentary loss of separation. This safety breach occurred despite stricter protocols implemented after a January 2025 midair collision that killed 67 people.

In response, the Federal Aviation Administration relocated radio antennas to the top of the airport tower and updated communication procedures to resolve the signal gaps. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy attributed the breakdown to telecommunications issues between the Marine One team and the FAA.