Marine One ran into another radio problem Thursday with President Trump aboard, forcing another helicopter to help relay messages to air traffic control.
It was the second incident reported this month.
This time, the trouble occurred before takeoff. The FAA says communication was established before the presidential helicopter departed.
The recorded exchange captures a controller struggling to hear Marine One as other aircraft help bridge the gap.
Listen:
President Trump was aboard Marine One on Thursday when the helicopter lost communication with air traffic control, forcing another helicopter in the squad to relay messages. pic.twitter.com/TWSsoqAkCY
— Breaking911 (@Breaking911) August 28, 2026
CNN reviewed the air traffic control recording from Thursday’s departure and reported that Marine One spent about four minutes trying to reach the Washington tower before receiving a response.
Controllers at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport relied on nearby helicopters to pass along information from the president’s aircraft. In the recording, a controller asks another aircraft to tell her if it can hear Marine One.
The FAA told the network that the required notice three minutes before departure reached the tower through another means and was acknowledged. The agency also said positive radio contact with Marine One was established before it lifted off.
The FAA said it had already moved an antenna and reviewed procedures after the August 4 incident. Thursday’s exchange nevertheless showed another departure requiring help from other aircraft.
Marine One had trouble communicating with air traffic controllers on Thursday, marking the second time this month the president’s helicopter has experienced communication issues in the Washington, D.C. area.
The latest incident comes just one day after the NTSB released new… pic.twitter.com/TJhSu7E8uT
— CBS News (@CBSNews) August 28, 2026
Earlier this month, the communication trouble had a different outcome.
The National Transportation Safety Board released its preliminary report on the August 4 incident Thursday, describing failed radio calls before Marine One and Envoy Air flight 3742 departed near the same time.
The helicopter’s first call did not reach the tower, and a second was unreadable. Investigators found inadequate line of sight between radio equipment and the Ellipse, the temporary departure site during White House construction.
Without the required advance call, the tower had not stopped airline departures under the presidential-flight procedures. The FAA’s initial estimate put the aircraft 0.82 nautical miles apart horizontally and 700 feet apart vertically.
The report says that estimate would satisfy the ordinary minimum radar-separation standard, while the special presidential departure procedures were a separate issue. Investigators are still checking the distance, and the report is preliminary, not a final finding of probable cause.
NTSB issues the preliminary report for its ongoing investigation into the Aug. 4 loss-of-separation incident in Washington, D.C., involving a Sikorsky VH-3D helicopter operated as Marine One and an Embraer E-170 airplane operated as Envoy Air flight 3742. Preliminary report:… pic.twitter.com/nqsDKtgfSo
— NTSB Newsroom (@NTSB_Newsroom) August 27, 2026
No injuries were reported in the August 4 incident, and both flights continued without further incident, according to the NTSB’s investigation summary.
Thursday’s account does not establish a second close encounter with a passenger jet. It does establish another communication problem involving the president’s helicopter, after the earlier episode had already prompted changes.
Reliable contact with the tower is a basic requirement. A second problem in the same month deserves a clear explanation of what failed and how it will be prevented from happening again.
This is a Guest Post from our friends over at WLTReport. View the original article here.
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