Trump’s Marine One again struggles to communicate with air traffic control before takeoff after similar incident this month

By Pete Muntean, CNN

(CNN) — Air traffic controllers at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport again had difficulty communicating by radio with President Donald Trump’s helicopter as it prepared to depart the White House on Thursday, relying on other helicopters in the air to relay messages to Marine One, according to air traffic control audio reviewed by CNN.

The incident is similar to one on August 4, when Marine One departed the Ellipse after two unsuccessful attempts to make the required call to the tower three minutes before liftoff, according to the National Transportation Safety Board’s preliminary report.

Because controllers did not receive that call earlier this month, departing commercial flights were not stopped as they normally are for a presidential helicopter movement, leading to Marine One coming within .82 nautical miles laterally and 700 feet vertically of an Envoy Air passenger jet that had just taken off.

Following the latest incident on Thursday, the Federal Aviation Administration said communication was ultimately established before Marine One took off.

Air traffic control audio captured Marine One trying to get in touch with the Washington tower before lift-off for about four minutes before receiving a response.

A different aircraft then relays the information to the air traffic controller, who replies, “Oh, I couldn’t hear any of that.”

About a minute later, the same controller asks an aircraft to let her know if they hear Marine One.

“Do me a favor, I can’t hear Marine One. If you hear Marine One, can you let me know?” the controller says.

Finally, after about four minutes of confusion, Marine One and the tower make contact.

“The three-minute notification was communicated by alternate means, acknowledged by a controller and positive contact was established with Marine One before takeoff,” the FAA told CNN.

The White House referred CNN to the FAA after a request for comment.

The FAA said it “took immediate action” after the August 4 incident, including relocating an antenna to improve communications between DCA air traffic controllers and Marine One pilots, and reviewing the procedures involved.

The NTSB said the August 4 communications problem involved inadequate line-of-sight between FAA radio equipment and the Ellipse, where Marine One was temporarily operating while construction was underway at the White House. Investigators said Marine One’s first attempt to contact the tower was not received and its second was broken and unreadable.

Aviation radios depend on a relatively unobstructed line-of-sight between antennas.

In a statement to CNN Thursday about the August 4 incident, White House spokesperson Kush Desai said, “Marine One flights are piloted by the finest aviators in the world, and the White House maintains the utmost confidence in these patriots and other security officials who are responsible for ensuring the President’s safety.”

“Although the President was at no point in harm’s way during the August 4th momentary loss of separation,” Desai said, “the White House continues to work with relevant military, FAA, and other security personnel to ensure the President’s continued safety.”

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CNN’s Taylor Galgano and Kit Maher contributed to this report.