It's not clear why a plane was allowed to take off as President Donald Trump’s helicopter was approaching Reagan National Airport in an apparent violation of safety procedures put in place after last year’s midair collision between an airliner and an Army helicopter near that busy Washington D.C. airport. Both the National Transportation Safety Board and Federal Aviation Administration are investigating the incident that happened Tuesday as Marine One left the White House for Andrews Air Force Base with the president aboard. A commercial jet took off at the same time. The FAA decided after 67 people died on Jan. 29, 2025 that all takeoffs and landings at Reagan would be halted anytime a helicopter passes by the airport.

The pilot of a float plane that crashed on a remote island near Washington’s border with Canada changed course to avoid a thunderstorm before it went down. All 11 people on board were injured in the crash Thursday, but a swift rescue by nearby boats and a helicopter crew got everyone safely to hospitals. Kenmore Air, which operated the flight, said Friday the pilot changed the flight path to avoid a weather system. It remains unclear what caused the crash. By Friday afternoon three people remained in hospitals, all in satisfactory condition. The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating.

The wreckage from a Pan Am plane crash in the ocean 74 years ago that helped lead to requirements for the passenger safety briefings on every flight today has been found off the coast of Puerto Rico. The talks flight attendants deliver about how to inflate a life vest or find the exits on a plane that are routine today were developed after 52 people perished aboard Pan Am’s Clipper Endeavor because they didn’t get off the plane before it sank. Explorers used an autonomous sonar drone to find the fuselage and tail of the DC-4 last month under 2,000 feet of water.

The National Transportation Safety Board says the remains of several geese were found on the wreckage of a sightseeing helicopter that crashed into the Hudson River last year in New York City and killed 6 people. The report released Thursday describes evidence and witness reports that suggest the helicopter struck several birds before it plummeted into the river on April 10, 2025.