Report reveals communication issues before Trump helicopter incident
Federal investigators report that construction at the White House caused radio interference, leading to communication failures between air traffic controllers and Marine One. These issues resulted in a near-miss incident between the presidential helicopter and an airline jet at Reagan National Airport.
Why it matters
The incident highlights critical safety vulnerabilities in presidential aviation logistics and the potential for infrastructure projects to disrupt essential air traffic control operations.
By JOSH FUNK Updated [hour]:[minute] [AMPM] [timezone], [monthFull] [day], [year] Leer en español --> Add AP News on Google Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. --> Share
The ongoing White House construction contributed to radio problems that kept air traffic controllers from hearing calls warning that President Donald Trump’s helicopter was getting ready to take off, so they cleared an airline jet to take off just as Marine One took to the air earlier this month, federal investigators said Thursday.
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