Marine One lost communication with air traffic controllers at Reagan National Airport for a second time this month, according to audio reviewed by ABC News. The incident occurred Thursday, just one hour after federal officials had stated the issue was resolved.
President Donald Trump was preparing to depart from the White House Ellipse when the communication failure happened. Pilots provided a three-minute warning to controllers, but another helicopter in the vicinity had to relay the message when air traffic control did not respond. A controller was later heard stating she did not hear the transmission and asked another helicopter pilot if they could hear Marine One.
"Hey Nighthawk 8, do me a favor, I can't hear Marine One," the controller said. "If you hear Marine One can you let me know?"
After Marine One lifted off, communication with the tower was re-established, and the helicopter proceeded to Joint Base Andrews, where Trump boarded Air Force One.
A similar event took place on August 4, when Marine One was taking off at the same time as a regional jet was departing from Reagan National Airport. The two aircraft maintained a separation of .82 miles horizontally and 700 feet vertically, and were not on a collision course. Federal Aviation Administration rules mandate a minimum of 1.5 miles horizontal separation and 500 feet vertical separation from the presidential helicopter for commercial aircraft near the airport.
Following the August 4 incident, the National Transportation Safety Board and the FAA launched an investigation. FAA engineers identified that a radio transmitter did not provide a clear line of sight to Marine One's temporary landing zone on the White House Ellipse, which is currently in use due to construction on the South Lawn.
The FAA relocated the transmitter to the top of the control tower at Reagan National Airport from a residential area. Subsequent tests indicated that Marine One had no further communication problems, according to an NTSB report released Thursday.
The FAA stated to ABC News that it took immediate action after the August 4 incident, including relocating an antenna and reviewing procedures. The agency added that the three-minute notification was communicated through alternate means, acknowledged by a controller, and positive contact was established before takeoff. The NTSB continues to lead the investigation into these communication failures.