Boeing 747 Gift From Qatar Flew 400 Feet Over D.C. for Halloween

The $400 million Boeing 747-8 jet descended to 400 feet above the ground on Thursday, according to flight data reviewed by The Washington Post. The aircraft, commonly referred to as Air Force One when the president is aboard, executed two separate low-altitude passes over the White House during a Halloween celebration.

The jet is a luxury model gifted by the Qatari royal family, a detail highlighted by journalist Danny Kemp. Flight records show the plane hovered between 400 feet and 1,000 feet. This range places the aircraft below the Federal Aviation Administration's standard minimum safe altitude for congested urban areas, which is set at 1,000 feet above the highest obstacle.

President Donald Trump attended the event, which the White House described as a trick-or-treat gathering. The administration's Rapid Response 47 account on X shared video footage of the plane flying near the Washington Monument. Captions accompanying the clips labeled the maneuver an epic flyover for children.

An FAA spokesperson confirmed to The Post that the agency coordinated the flight path. However, the short notice given to ground operators stirred friction among aviation professionals. One pilot asked in a recording posted to ATC.com, How many more fly-bys is he doing? Another pilot responded, hopefully that’s the last.

The Council of DC stated on X that the White House provided only 15 minutes of warning to parties in downtown D.C., at the Pentagon, and at National Airport. The account noted that the maneuver startled many people in those locations.

Residents in the capital city expressed anxiety on social media following the passes. The timing of the low-altitude flights occurred in the shadow of the September 11, 2001 attacks, where a plane crashed into the Pentagon, killing 184 people.