Trump helicopter incident linked to White House construction delays

President Trump's Marine One helicopter came dangerously close to a commercial plane over Washington in early August 2026. The near-miss happened because the helicopter had moved to a temporary takeoff location at the Ellipse, a park near the White House. Construction work there, including a new ballroom, forced the change. The new location created communication problems between the helicopter's pilots and air traffic controllers at Reagan National Airport. Controllers did not stop commercial flights before Marine One took off, as safety rules require. The helicopter must warn controllers three minutes before takeoff so they can clear the airspace. Pilots and controllers had met just one week earlier to talk about these communication problems. The National Transportation Safety Board has published a preliminary report on the incident.