White House construction played part in Trump helicopter incident, safety officials say
Helipad relocation led in part to incident where Marine One, carrying the president, had close call with passenger jet
TL;DR
- A helipad relocation for White House construction contributed to a near-miss incident involving Marine One and a passenger jet.
- Communication issues, specifically the failure to provide the required three minutes' notice before takeoff, were identified as a key factor by the NTSB.
- The helipad was moved from the South Lawn to the Ellipse due to ongoing construction projects, including a new ballroom and a new helipad.
- Despite an antenna relocation and procedure change following the incident, air traffic controllers briefly lost contact with Marine One again on a later flight.
- Air traffic controllers had previously met with Marine One staff to discuss concerns about not receiving the required 'three minute to liftoff' call.
- The NTSB report indicated that Marine One and the jet were separated by 0.82 nautical miles laterally and 700ft vertically at one point, falling within FAA proximity rules but raising concerns after a recent fatal collision.
- Ongoing construction of a new helipad on the South Lawn is also facing changes due to President Trump's dissatisfaction with its appearance and slope.