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WASHINGTON — The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating why air traffic controllers at Washington’s Reagan National Airport did not stop flights Tuesday when President Trump’s helicopter, Marine One, took off from the nearby White House lawn, as required by safety protocols.
The airport is located fewer than five miles as the crow flies from the executive mansion and air traffic is regularly stopped when the president takes to the skies to ensure “standard separation” — enough distance between aircraft to avoid the risk of a collision.
The Wall Street Journal first reported on the investigation.
“There was momentary loss of separation after which the aircraft continued to move away from one another,” the FAA told The Post in a statement.
“The air traffic controller was in contact with both the commercial pilot and Marine One pilot during the loss of separation. As the White House has said, the President was never in danger. We are continuing to review the incident and will implement any appropriate corrective actions based on our findings.”
Air traffic patterns while taking off from and landing at Reagan National Airport have been a source of concern since an American Airlines regional jet collided with an Army Black Hawk helicopter while on approach to the hub on the evening of Jan. 29, 2025, resulting in 67 deaths.
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