New Marine One Audio Reveals Tense Moments President’s Chopper Lost Contact With Tower

New air traffic control audio reveals the tense moments when Reagan National Airport controllers lost contact with Marine One, the presidential helicopter ferrying President Donald Trump on his way to Texas.

“The controllers at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport were having some serious trouble communicating with Marine One yesterday, so they had to rely on other helicopters in the area to relay messages to the presidential chopper,” said CNN’s Wolf Blitzer while introducing aviation correspondent Pete Muntean.

“That new air traffic control audio lays out the communication problems between the tower at Reagan National Airport and the president’s helicopter have not been fixed,” Muntean reported. “The very same scenario on August 4th triggered Marine One getting too close to a departing commercial flight and led to an investigation by the NTSB.”

Muntean said the audio reveals that the Marine One pilots “spend about four minutes trying to reach the tower to no avail, and the air traffic controller in the tower must ultimately rely on other helicopters flying nearby to relay the message. Listen:”

TOWER: Do me a favor. I can’t hear Marine One. If you hear Marine One, can you let me know?

AIRCRAFT: Affirm we have positive comms with Marine One.

TOWER: Marine One, are you trying to reach me?

MARINE ONE: Affirm, National tower. Marine One proceeding as briefed with momentary delay.

TOWER: Marine One, roger, there’s helicopter traffic…

Muntean continued, “The FAA, in a new statement, clearly referring to that relay maneuver, saying the usual three minutes to liftoff notification was, quote, ‘Communicated by alternate means.'”

“But this is maybe the most interesting part,” Muntean said. “The National Transportation Safety Board said during the first incident, Marine One was lifting off from a different location at the White House due to the construction that’s taking place there, and that may have hampered radio reception.”

The White House released a statement following Thursday’s incident saying it “will work with all agencies to make sure the president is safe.”

Watch the clip above via CNN.

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