White House construction linked to communication problems during helicopter close call

Construction for a new White House ballroom may have contributed to an Aug. 4 incident in which the president’s helicopter passed within less than a mile of a commercial jet near Washington’s Ronald Reagan National Airport, according to a preliminary National Transportation Safety Board report. The work temporarily moved the helicopter’s takeoff location, which may have weakened radio communication with air traffic controllers.

Garbled transmissions caused a controller to miss warnings that Marine One was about to depart, allowing an Envoy Air flight to take off at nearly the same time. The NTSB investigation remains ongoing.

Controllers again appeared to have difficulty receiving Marine One transmissions Thursday, though alternate communications were used and the takeoff proceeded without incident. The Federal Aviation Administration said it has changed communication procedures and relocated an air traffic antenna.

Read the full story at The Seattle Times.