The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is investigating a loss of separation involving Marine One and an Embraer E170 operated by Envoy Air, a subsidiary of American Airlines, near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport on August 4.
Marine One departed from the Ellipse near the White House at around 2:33 p.m., followed one minute later by Envoy Flight 3742 bound for Pensacola. According to flight tracking data, the commercial aircraft passed within the FAA’s required separation distance, prompting an investigation.
Both aircraft landed safely, and the FAA said the incident did not appear to involve a dangerous close call or converging flight paths. However, investigators are examining why commercial departures continued while Marine One was operating nearby, despite restrictions introduced after the January 2025 mid-air collision near Reagan National Airport.
