Controllers warned Trump copter pilots about radio failures 1 week before they came close to jet

Air traffic controllers in Washington and the pilots of President Donald Trump's helicopter met to discuss communication problems one week before a jet was allowed to take off just as Marine One left the White House, federal investigators stated Thursday.

What happened

Controllers documented not receiving the standard three-minute warning call ahead of Marine One flights and both sides agreed to an alternative in those instances – but that plan to relay the radio call through someone else was additionally unsuccessful on the day of the Aug. 4 incident near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, the National Transportation Safety Board's preliminary report demonstrates.

Having both the jet and helicopter in the air meanwhile seemed to violate safety procedures put in place after last year's midair collision near the busy airport that killed 67 individuals, but office-holders stressed that the president was never in danger. The Pentagon additionally has a longstanding agreement with the Federal Aviation Administration to provide controllers with a three-minute warning before the president's helicopter takes off that predates last year's crash.

The bottom line

For now, controllers warned Trump copter pilots about radio failures 1 week before they remains the part of the story worth watching, and further updates are likely as more details are confirmed.