NTSB preliminary report finds Marine One communication failures caused close call with passenger jet on August 4, 2026
An NTSB preliminary report released on August 27, 2026 found that Marine One pilots twice failed to reach Reagan National Airport air traffic controllers before takeoff on August 4, 2026, resulting in the presidential helicopter coming within 0.82 nautical miles laterally and 700 feet vertically of a departing Envoy Air jet. The communication failures were linked to inadequate line-of-sight between FAA radio equipment and the Ellipse, where Marine One was operating during White House helipad construction. The FAA said it relocated an antenna and reviewed procedures after the incident, and a similar communication failure occurred again on August 28, 2026.
- Politicofirst
- Newsmax+6.3 h
- Reuters+7.2 h
- Washington Examiner+8.4 h
- NY Post+9.0 h
- The Hill+10.3 h
- CBS News+10.5 h
- South China Morning Post+13.6 h
- CNN+14.0 h
- Jerusalem Post+18.3 h
- ABC News+26.0 h
Broad agreement on what happened
Outlets across the spectrum land in roughly the same place: the shared language is highlighted.
“Marine One pilots knew about communication issues before close-call incident, NTSB says”WE Washington Examiner RIGHT
“NTSB: Temporary Ellipse site factored into Marine One incident” · Politico, AP News, Jerusalem Post, South China Morning Post, Reuters, The Hill